


Vampire BTT x Reader | BloodXLust

by CrystalRogue



Category: Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia Au - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Asexual, Backstory, Blood, Dedric, Drawn out, F/M, First Book, Flirting, Gay, Greta - Freeform, Hand Job, Heidi - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Murder, Mystery, Rudolph - Freeform, Sexual Tension, Shenck, Tension, Vampire AU, demisexual, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 40,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalRogue/pseuds/CrystalRogue
Summary: How does a curious, world traveling, demisexual end up in a polyamorous relationship with a trio of lustful vampires?It starts with a broken down car, a Renaissance fair, a burglar and a scary movie.
Relationships: Austria/Hungary (Hetalia), France (Hetalia)/Reader, France/Spain (Hetalia), Hungary/Prussia (Hetalia), Prussia (Hetalia)/Reader, Spain (Hetalia)/Reader
Kudos: 7





	1. Prolog I | Summer

I didn't think much of them at first, was I suppose to?  
They were like any other young men anywhere else in the world, and I would know- after all, traveling is my lifestyle.  
On the brink of Switzerland in a cute German town is a two-story white house distanced from the neighborhood on a small hilltop. It looks completely normal from the outside, like any other suburban house I'd see back home.  
The curtains were always closed, and there were no cars, or bikes, nothing to get them around. There was nothing in the yard, front or back. No flowers, no signs of life there, except the cleanly cut grass which someone aside from them mowed for them, a neighbor maybe? You wouldn't think someone lived there, or if they did, that they were never home. But come night the curtains were drawn back and all the lights shown through the windows, and you could hear the loud tv, and sounds of a party and usually the pleasured screams of both men and women almost every night.  
In this house lived those three men I met months ago, they are like family now.  
They are Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio.  
Antonio is Hispanic, and he has gorgeous tan skin, messy dark brown hair, emerald green eyes, a cheery smile, and a scar on his stomach that wasn't there when I first met him. He comes off as the friendliest, but he's the most flirtatious of them. He's rather bold, more than people in their small town think he is.  
Gilbert is German, he has Snow White skin and pale red eyes, the red eyes didn't catch me off guard seeing as he is albino, his hair was an off white, it looked almost blonde, and he only looked paler in the dark clothes he wore. He's the most playful, he loves to tease, but he's also the most sensitive of them, but you'd never know, not unless you knew him the way I do.  
Francis is French, he's very flamboyant and has a touch of feminine beauty; he has flowing golden blonde hair, fair skin, rosy lips, and sparkling blue eyes. It's no exaggeration to say his eyes really did Sparkle just like the rest of him. He dressed very fancifully for a small town, and he stuck out like a diamond among coal.  
That's what they all were really.  
Diamonds; and everyone else was coal.  
I was coal too, but not like they were used to, not the kind of person who quickly submits, who is easily charmed, who faints under their touch, who burns in the fire like the rest.  
I'm the coal that takes the pressure and the heat until I become a diamond too.  
That is this story.  
How coal became diamond.  
How human become more.  
How three powerful vampires fell in love with a human girl.


	2. Chapter One | CarXTrouble

I met them in April, in Germany, on the way to Italy. I was singing in my car, to a German song, 99 luftballoons, it was very catchy, I must've listened to it twenty times in a row.

Obviously, I wasn't paying close enough attention to the road because a loud pop made me shriek, and I heard the van motor putter. I'd hit a pothole straight on, but looking at the damage, it looked like I ran into a pole. The exhaust pipe looked like it'd been jolted out of place, and there was a bit of smoke. I checked the van battery, and it seemed to be fine, but the van was acting like I'd just killed it.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

I was so close to getting to Italy. I'd been in Germany an entire week. Usually, I never stayed long in one place, but it was so nice, and there were a lot of war sights to visit, and as twisted as it might sound, I loved ww2. Not what happened really, it just felt so surreal, inhuman; every time I reviewed the history of it, I learned something new, something more disturbing. I also had an heirloom checked out while there. A Nazi dagger, my great grandfather took it off an enemy soldier he'd killed, it wasn't any high ranking one, just the generic one every soldier received.

I wonder who it'd killed, if it had gotten to at all?

I was so lost thinking about Germany again, I neglected to call a tow truck. 

I fished through the seat in the van on the right side. It was covered in everything I'd needed or used the past few weeks from Portugal to Spain, through France and up to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, winding back down to Germany and now on the edge of Liechtenstein, Austria, and Switzerland.

I'd planned to head to Italy first, there was a festival I was interested in going to this week then I'd go back through the three aforementioned countries.

My driving patterns weren't ever really normal, I planned everything, not on the convenience of timing or maps, but events, for this reason, I might be in china and drive through five other countries to the next and go back to the other five countries weeks later even if it was tiring.

I found my phone in the front seat and realized it was dead.

I opened the back doors to the van and crawled over the built-in bed, and opened the cabinets to try and find one of my disposable phones I kept for safety. I found a charger instead and decided to wait a few minutes for it to charge.

I was on the outskirts of a small town. It looked more old fashioned then what I was used to seeing in Germany.

As it turned out, there was a renaissance fair going on, so I ignored my poor van and locked it up. I took a disposable phone, my handbag, and a pocket knife.

I walked into town happily and mesmerized at the beautiful decorations and people cosplaying; in fact, one section of field outside of the town was sectioned off only for cosplaying members. I didn't take Germans as the cosplaying type, but I guess there's some wherever you go.

Instead of being productive as I should've been, I walked up to a dress stand and tried on three different renaissance dresses until I found one that I thought fitted me perfectly. I ended up buying it and joined the fair. Might as well since I'm here. I would've put this on my schedule if I'd known about it. I had a few dresses back home in my old room that were of much better quality.

I began worrying about my impulsive several hundred dollar purchase of a dress I'd likely wear only a few times as I did with most of my clothes. I didn't wear dresses often, but if people still wore Victorian dresses, then I wouldn't ever wear anything else. 

Despite my impulsive purchase before, I made another one for a cape. I had a cape collection; it was a quirk. My old school had a strict dress code, but they never mentioned capes, so I'd annoy the staff and wear them when I felt like it. I got branded as the strange kid, but everyone knew me because of it, so I was the only popular kid who wasn't a part of the popular clique. Goals. Maybe?

Vans weren't a part of the renaissance era, so I doubt anyone part of this would answer my questions. If they were into their roles, they'd ask what a van was.

I didn't really understand Germans being relaxed enough to role play, and to role-play an Italian time period. It was funny watching often strict people in Italian clothes speak german trying to pass off as old fashioned people.

Maybe I'd show off and start speaking Italian to one-up them. That might piss them off though, I've had plenty of experience with Germans to know even if they mean to be friendly they come off as terrifying. They also get mad if you laugh at their language, but each time I hear them curse, I can't help it.

I decided I'd been slacking enough when the sun was much lower in the sky than when I'd started. I'd met a small group of girls who were cosplaying, but they spoke like anyone else in the 21st century thankfully.

I approached them cautiously; I was still rather messy with really greasy hair because of how little time I had to shower. They didn't give me a weird look, but I almost felt insulted that they looked sympathetic.

In fluent German, which thankfully I knew, I asked them; "Do you know anyone who can help me-"

"The fags can help you."

Wow Germans were blunt, was the first and only thing I could think of.

"Excuse me?"

The girl who'd answered me was nudged by her friend, who thought it was more obvious I wouldn't know what she meant.

"Sorry about Anna, I'm Lena. What she means is the fags can help, but what you obviously don't know is it's the nickname for these three nice men in town. Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio. They live in the neighborhood right next to town. Tod Street, 453." She explained to me. She was nice. Taller than me with blonde hair in a smooth bob, light blue eyes, pale skin, and had the first german accent from a girl that sounded really attractive to me.

I didn't even tell them what I needed.

"They can help you with everything." the third girl in the group said, giggly. Looking over her, she was probably drunk. Lena and Anna helped her stand up as she leaned too heavily on Lena.

"Um okay then? Thank you." I waved goodbye to them as I turned around and headed to my van. I needed google maps before I could head in the right direction. I was never good with directions, now I was in a different country, and I found myself lost often.

Sometimes this was dangerous ending up in the backstreets and dead ends in suspicious places in countries like Japan, Russia, or Egypt. Sometimes I found hidden gems in countries like Canada, Poland, or Finland.

Unfortunately, the walk back to my van took a good fifteen minutes, and there was nothing to do on a disposable phone but make calls.

I always made a point of calling home every day, or my mom would panic. I usually had my phone off anyway, and now it wasn't even with me; she did, however, have every number of my disposable phones. She hadn't desperately called them all yet. I gave her a call, one of the only phone numbers I memorized aside from each country's emergency number.

She picked up after a few rings, and I was in sight of my van now. 

"___ why are calling from this number, are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine, my other phone is charging, and I needed to head into town."

"Okay, is everything alright? Are you in Italy yet?"

"No, I broke down in Germany, " I muttered. "I haven't called a tow truck yet Cause first of all its money, and then I impulsively joined a renaissance fair, but it was fun. These three nice girls gave me directions to some people who can help me out, maybe for free. I hope anyways."

"I don't know ___ I'd be careful." She cautioned, and I nodded even though she couldn't see it.

I unlocked my van doors and sat in the back of the van on my bed, my feet hanging out of the van over the gravel road.

"Yeah, I know, I'll bring my gun in case, I still have my pocket knife with me too," I assured her.

I had a gun. I wasn't gun-crazy or anything, and I got in trouble for having it a lot, but it made me feel safe, and it did genuinely keep me safe. I'd found myself needing to use it before. Not my proudest moments, but I got out of there alive, and it's not like I was just gonna let myself get killed or raped. Controversial subjects for a scrapbook, I know, but it's the truth of the matter. Especially hopping place to place, a lot of those places being dangerous or at the very least having a bad reputations.

I said my "I love you"s and "goodbye"s to my mom and hung up after she insisted I text her a picture of my dress and tell her about the renaissance fair.

I took a picture of my dress with the german countryside in the background, not a professional picture, just a camera phone.

I sent it and pulled the curtains for the van windows while I got changed in something warmer since it was a little cooler outside now.

I packed my gun and kept my pocket knife by my waist and locked up my van again, and headed to the house, which according to google maps, was a ten-minute walk, and according to the day schedule, the sun was supposed to be down in six. These people better not be sketchy. 

I got a few looks from passing cars as I headed into the neighborhood. Of course, it's because my jeans were torn and muddy cause only moments from my start of the walk I'd tripped in the middle of the road.

I looked really suspicious aside from that. I was hiding a gun in my jacket, and I looked homeless. Anyone in their right mind who knew or suspected that I had a gun would've reported me.

There were even kids playing outside being kept a close eye on by their parents. One mother ushered her kids closer to her as I passed by.

I pulled my hood down and smiled and waved to them, trying to show them I wasn't creepy, but it might've made it worse. It looked like I'd been watching them now.

I managed to find the house finally. A two-story, white house with light blue shutters on the windows, a cleanly cut yard, a wooden fence in the back, and a small amount of light coming from each window.

I walked up the rocky driveway, which had a pretty aesthetic until I tripped and fell and ripped a second hole in the front of my jeans.

I cursed in german and hobbled to the door, now really annoyed, but I made sure to smile before anyone answered, so I didn't look even more like I was going to rob them.

I still wasn't sure what to expect of them, I didn't even know their ages or appearances or if they could even fix my van. I never even told Lena or Anna what I needed; they just told me they'd help with anything, and their possibly drunk friend winked at me before I left. Was she flirting or hinting to a possibly deviant nature of the three "fags"?

I knocked on their door, pushed my hair back, and put it up in a ponytail as I heard someone coming downstairs.


	3. Chapter Two | ThemXHome

A tan man with the most perfect face I'd ever seen answered the door looking down at me confused. He had emerald green eyes that looked unreal and his tan skin was flawless. I looked smooth as slate and I almost wanted to feel if it was.

"U-umm, Do Antonio, Gilbert and/or Francis live here?" I asked nervously.

"Yes, that's us. What is it you need?" He asked, still looking concerned. Well, that's what I get for dressing like a hobo and looking like one too.

"Um...I don't even know if you can help but my van broke down...I ran into a pothole. Someone in town sent me here. I didn't even ask if you could fix cars- I'm sorry if I'm wasting your time."

He suddenly smiled cheerfully. I'd never seen such a precious happy face before; I wanted to pinch his cheeks almost.

My hands twitched cause they wanted to squish his cute face just that much.

He nodded and called to Gilbert and Francis. Obviously, this meant he must be Antonio. Though by ethnic stereotyped names I could've guessed.

I was surprised to be met by two equally beautiful men. I never thought men were beautiful, I wasn't really one to notice people's appearance. I didn't think men were hot I just thought some looked good and some didn't, I never fangirled or anything like my friends did as teens and young adults. I never understood them that way, I was never like other girls. That's how I found out I was asexual actually. Putting that aside I was drawn in by these two new men.

Antonio explained to them my situation and they nodded and smiled at me.

One of them was fair skinned, he has pretty blue eyes, light stubble on his chin and shoulder length silky light blonde hair. His skin was also smooth but it gave me the impression of granite instead of slate-like Antonio.

As for the other one, I was most surprised by. He was albino. I'd never met an albino man before. His skin was white as snow and looked like ice. He has light red eyes and hair with barely any coloring. It looked even lighter than platinum blonde but it wasn't as white as his skin.

He looked cheery and had a well-built appearance, I had a feeling he was German and I was right as he spoke to me.

"So vhat's your name?" He asked me in German still.

"___. What's your name?" I asked and outstretched my hand to them. He smirked and shook my hand with more force than I was used to and I fell forward a bit and he laughed a little. It wasn't rude or menacing, just playful.

"Gilbert." He responded. Yeah, that was the German name, the blonde man didn't have the unusually well built, slicked-back hair of the other German men I'd seen my entire trip.

When he spoke it was a French accent.

"Francis."

"Nice to meet you, Francis," I answered him in French, showing off my linguist major. I knew a multitude of languages.

I turned to Antonio.

"Antonio right?" I asked him in Spanish. I hoped he wasn't Portuguese or a similar ethnicity, I didn't want to insult him.

While Francis looks surprised, Antonio looked delighted and shook my hand quickly while smiling.

"Si!" He agreed happily.

Gilbert ducked inside for something and returned with a tool kit.

I didn't notice any cars in their driveway and was worried I'd have to walk back.

They seemed to notice my worry and Gilbert patted my back with an abnormal amount of strength and laughed his unusual laugh again.

He pointed to a car in an empty patch of grass across the street where a house looked like it'd been at some point, there was still some rubble left.

"Don't vorry, ve have a car. Ve just don't keep it in the driveway because ve have company often." He explained and I nodded.

"Where are you from?" Francis asked trying to start a conversation with me.

I followed Gilbert down the driveway and Francis and Antonio traveled behind me, keeping pace.

"(Your Country)." I answered and he nodded.

"A very beautiful place. You speak English then? Judging by your accent it's your first language?" He guessed and I nodded glancing at him as I crossed the street.

"And you? Are you from France then?"

He nodded, "and Antonio 'ere is from Spain, Gilbert is from eastern Germany." 

"I was just in Spain actually, and I've spent the past week in Germany."

"Long vacation it sounds like?" Antonio said in surprise as we hopped in the car.

Gilbert was in the front seat and Francis in the passenger seat while Antonio accompanied me in the back seat.

"Actually, my van is my home, I travel. My parents' home technically counts as my permanent home, somewhere to go in case, but the van is my home and I love it."

"Do you have money for a hotel in case we can't help you out fast enough?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah, it's just a pain. How much do you guys want for your service."

Gilbert laughed as he drove out of the neighborhood a bit too quickly. "Nothing Mädchen, no vorries." He smiled.

I thanked them and sighed in relief.

"Thank god," I said and practically melted in exhaustion in the back seat but just as I did we got to my van.

The first thing we noticed was the guy hopping out of the side. He noticed us as we pulled over and looked surprised for a minute, he was holding my radio and I darted out of the car and hopped over the hood to start chase.

"Hey! Köcsög!" I shouted at him and bolted.

The three got out of the car.

"Want help!?" Antonio asked as if it wasn't obvious.

I shouted "no" anyway and caught up with the man.

I jumped and grabbed onto his ankles.

He cursed and kicked my face. I shouted back at him as I knocked the radio into the grass by the road safely and began wrestling with the man as he tried to pin me and I tried to flip him on his back.

"Verdammt noch mal, alter Mann!" I cursed at him, calling him an old man though he was likely not even thirty yet.

I remembered the gun in my jacket pocket and even though my situation wasn't dire I grabbed it and showed it to him. I didn't point it, I didn't want to get in trouble for waving it around unnecessarily.

He stiffened when he saw it and looked angrily up at me.

"Cheeky foreigner." He muttered and grit his teeth.

Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert were keeping a close eye on the situation.

"Stay still. I'm calling the cops, what else did you take?" I warned him.

He eventually stopped squirming around and complied.

I walked him back to the van and he looked humiliated. Gilbert was laughing hysterically as the small foreign girl bossing around a much taller German man approached them triumphantly.

"Helmut? Causing trouble again?" Antonio asked and his expression turned more serious.

I barely knew Antonio so I immediately became cautious, maybe I shouldn't be trusting these three. They were helping me for free and the ride seemed safe enough but the glare in his eyes was venomous.

Helmut didn't even speak just shook his head and was visibly shaking.

Antonio smiled cheerfully and patted his shoulder.

"Don't lie to us, Ada says you were walking around the parlor drunk last week? You were such a good boy Helmut, what happened?"

Suddenly I felt bad for this guy as he sat on the road in defeat.

I backed away a little.

"Umm, how about I let you off the hook, err...Helmut? If you promise me to stay out of trouble. Antonio can tell the police what you did next time he hears you get in trouble."

"I'd rather you call the cops then Antonio have any blackmail on me." He muttered,

Gilbert started laughing again.

"Toni, you went too far, he's scared." He laughed.

Helmut glared at him and tensed up when Gilbert smirked at him.

A good boy? I thought. Had they known him so long? Surely they weren't older than him or even the same age, they seemed much younger.

"How old are you three?" I asked them seriously, very curious now.

"Twenty three," Gilbert said as he inspected the engine.

"Twenty-five." Antonio smiled still looking at Helmut.

"Twenty-six," Francis said and tossed his hair back with his hand. This guy had to be a model?

While I waited for Gilbert to report the damage to me, Francis leaned against the van lazily, Antonio didn't take his eyes off poor Helmut so I called the cops so Helmut could finally leave, meanwhile I was just watching.

When the cops showed up, Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert stopped what they were doing to shake hands.

Did they know everyone in town?

"Officer Shenck." Antonio greeted cheerfully.

"Mr. Carriedo." He said and they shook hands, it looked firm cause the cop winced at the grip.

I knew it wasn't just me that thought they were unusually strong.

"What are you boys doing out here tonight?" He asked.

Gilbert gestured to me and then the van.

"Her van broke down so we're helping." He grinned.

The cop looked me over and I waved shyly.

"Don't go getting into too much trouble got it?" He teased and they all laughed.

Should I know what he means? Should I be worried?

"Common Helmut, did he give you much trouble, Frau?" Officer Shenck asked.

I was more focused on his last name sounding like shank and debating whether or not to tell him what that meant in English, then on what was actually happening.

"I've dealt with worse." Was all I said and shrugged.

He gave me a curious look and noticed the gun stuffed halfway back into my pocket.

"Do you have a license for that?" He asked me and I nodded. I kept it folded up in my wallet which was in my other pocket so I pulled it out.

He looked at it with a furrowed brow. He must not read English.

"I'm guessing you're traveling through then?" He chuckled still looking it over, "sorry you had to deal vith this in our country, I hope you come back." He apologized sweetly.

I nodded "I'll be back, I enjoyed my week here very much. You're nicer than the other cops I've talked to."

The five men looked at me questioningly.

"I brought a Nazi dagger to be inspected at a museum and I guess it wasn't locked up enough or something so I got taken by Security until the professor I was meeting got me out of it."

I was met by blank stares.

"You have a Nazi dagger?" Officer Shenck asked me.

"Yeah, heirloom."

"Are you German?"

"Oh, um no...we got it a different way..." I trailed off.

"Like a f*cking prize?" Helmut asked from the back seat angrily.

I didn't reply and looked guilty now.

Gilbert patted my shoulder.

"Hey, it's in the past." He said lightheartedly and Officer Shenck nodded.

The few seconds of that awkward silence was over and the police report was being written. 

Pretty sure all it said was something about Helmut being his usual self.

I got my gun license back after having Gilbert swear it was accurate, Gilbert apparently read English well.

We waved the cop goodbye and by now it was dark.

The street was lit up by the few post lamps along the road.

"Do you need a flashlight?" I asked Gilbert but he shook his head. "You can see in this lighting seriously? I mean I can't judge, I have the worst eyesight possible and I even have contacts in but really?"

Gilbert glanced at his two friends and agreed he needed a flashlight.

While I went around back to fetch one I could hear them talking to each other about something. They sounded serious.

When I came back they glanced at me simultaneously and I stopped in my steps.

Realizing they'd scared me they apologized and Antonio scratched the back of his head anxiously while Gilbert returned to whatever it was he was doing halfway under the van.

Finally, I asked him after all the time.

"So...what's the damage?" I asked him.

I couldn't hear him from under the car so he scooted back out.

"The exhaust pipe is dented in. It's not working properly, I tried to see if I could open it up for you but it's still not working so I think you should take it to the shop.

"No, verdammt." I cursed in defeat.

If a tow truck came I'd have to take all my stuff out.

"We'll wait here with you for a tow truck." Antonio comforted.

Gilbert stood up, covered in some grease, he'd taken his hoodie off and was wearing a white, now somewhat dirtied wife beater and it was very attractive.

"We'll help you take your stuff out." Gilbert offered and wiped some dirt off his face with his hand but smudged it.

I took a towel from the back and gave it to him.

"Thanks, mädchen." He said and wiped off his face.

They headed to the back of the van to help but before they could I rushed in and shut the doors.

Opened the passenger door and informed them "before you get in let me clean a bit and get my more personal things." I said quickly and stuck my head back in and threw everything on the ground in my compact laundry basket. I opened the drawer with my hygiene products and opened the chest up with my underwear and hid it underneath everything else in the basket. I opened the back doors up again and hopped out off my bed with the basket looking flushed.

I needed to hike more if a few minutes of quick cleaning wore me out. Hopefully, I was just a bit tired.

Francis patted my back as I set my stuff down.

They took everything out that could be taken out aside from things I didn't need very much like my knives or fan.

I looked at everything on the side of the road in front of their car.

This wasn't going to fit in their car or a taxi.

"Aw fudge." I sighed and sat on the hood of their car.

Gilbert shut the van doors just as the tow truck Antonio had called arrived.

The man assessed the damage and Gilbert told him what he'd found.

As he got ready to hook my poor van to his truck he asked for my keys and I fiddled with the circle of keys to find the right one. He looked annoyed by the amount of time it took me but eventually, I found it and tossed it to him.

He didn't catch it and he gave me an exasperated look. I shrunk a little and made an apologetic smile as he turned around to get the key.

Gilbert came back to the little group.

"Vell...sorry about your van/home mädchen." He said and I sighed and looked at all my stuff.

"Where do I put this?"

"We'll fit it in our car. No worries." Francis said trying to cheer me up but it was pointless, I hunched over in annoyance at the situation.

"We have a spare room if you're okay staying with us," Antonio told me.

I cheered up a bit. "If I don't mind you? You won't mind me?"

"No of course not." He smiled.

"Wait why might I mind you?" I asked.

"Sometimes we have girls over..." he trailed off looking to the side and not directly at me and I got what he was trying to say.

"Oh...how often?"

"Most nights." Gilbert laughed proudly and leaned against Antonio wrapping his arm around him.

"A-are you guys loud...?" I asked certainty red-faced.

"We'll be quiet," Antonio promised and Gilbert laughed again until Antonio elbowed his gut and he choked instead.

Francis patted Gilbert and sighed.

"Do I have to pay?" I asked slowly, seeing if I could get out of it.

"No, especially since I highly doubt we'll be that quiet," Antonio said honestly.

I sighed at that last part but nodded and thanked them.

Somehow they stuffed everything in their car and the tow truck guy informed me the work could take a week.

"What!?" I shrieked in English. I repeated myself more calmly in German but frantically began asking him questions.

"W-why-why does, why does it take that long?"

"Your van is in need of more work than an exhaust pipe, you could use a new battery and the van floor in scraped up, actually there's a hole, I'm surprised you aren't dead and the van isn't on fire." He said bluntly.

I fell to my knees dramatically as he left and waved goodbye to my sweet van.

Francis helped me up and Gilbert was trying not to laugh.

Antonio smiled sympathetically and I sighed.

"Hey don't feel bad, we'll make you some nice breakfast, and you probably haven't eaten dinner yet either have you? We can make you whatever you want." Gilbert comforted.

"I can run you a nice warm bath," Francis suggested and Antonio shot him a look.

"Thank goodness, I need a shower, it's hard finding places on the road to continuously shower." I sighed and they nodded.

"I can imagine it must be difficult finding somewhere nice. I couldn't live if I didn't have a rose petal bath or a steamy shower every day." Francis said sadly.

Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Must be nice with no one forcing you to take showers," he said.

"We don't force you," Antonio said.

"No, but you strongly suggest, continuously." He argues and I laughed.

They looked at me curiously and all continued to push themselves into the compact car.

I was sitting on and under things trying to make room for Antonio who resorted to clinging onto the car roof until I insisted he didn't do that.

Gilbert laughed at Antonio as he reluctantly stuffed himself into the car.

I flushed red as we were pressed together firmly as he pulled the car door shut behind him.

"Everyone ready?" Gilbert laughed.

"Yesh," Antonio said, his face smushed between things.

Gilbert and Francis laughed at him and took off much faster than someone who had every car window blocked should be.

"Oh my gosh, you guys drive worse than my mom," I said with a muffled voice. There was a comforter surrounding me so at least I got the fluffy thing and not heavy boxes.

We arrived at their house again in less than three minutes. It felt farther away the first time since I had to walk there.

Gilbert had to help everyone out of the car because they couldn't move otherwise with everything stuffed in. As he opened the doors a few things fell out immediately.

It took a good twenty minutes but everything was carried to their spare bedroom.

I held the hamper in my arms and looked around. As soon as you entered to the left was an open living room with two couches facing across from each other and a tv over a fireplace. Directly in front was small open kitchen and table. To the right was a hallway that leads to an office and the garage.

The left hallway leads to a storage room and a small library.

Before I could reach the stairs I tripped on nothing and my hamper flew out of my hands and everything scattered around me.

I squealed in surprise and froze in embarrassment as the four of us could all clearly see literally all of my underwear and bras and a few night time pads.

I turned red and brushed it all back into the hamper and ran upstairs.

In the spare room were a bed, two windows, a dresser on either side of the bed, a small closet across from it and a small bathroom.

I threw the hamper into the closet and quickly shut it.

I stepped over everything on the ground and quickly sorted them into piles and put things into the dresser and closet until the room looked perfectly clean again.

I heard the water running in the bathroom directly across the hall and stepped out, shutting my temporary bedroom door behind me.

"Um, th-thanks guys." I stuttered still very embarrassed.

They smiled and Gilbert sat at the round table in the kitchen and gave me a thumbs up.

Francis surprised me as he stepped out of the bathroom behind me and shut the door after him.

"The water in the shower is warm, we have fluffy towels in the hallway closet and I lit a candle." He informed me.

"Thank you so much. You really didn't have to do any of this for me."

"Ve can't just leave a young wunderschönen lady like you stranded," Gilbert said and I blushed.

"Thanks again," I said and headed to their bathroom.

"Vait, before you get in the shower, vhat vould you like for dinner?"

"Umm...what do you have?" I thought and asked them coming down the stairs to look with them.

Gilbert opened the fridge. There was some leftover pizza, a slice of pie, and a dozen other half finished things so beautifully done they belonged in magazines.

I found cheese, sour cream, and an avocado and took them out.

I looked through their spices and found what I needed as well as wraps in their cabinet.

They eyed me curiously.

"Vhat is all that for?" Gilbert asked.

"A fajita. I love them." I said. "I'm very picky about my food so I'll make it when I get out if you don't mind.

"If you're sure, then yeah okay," Antonio said.

"Is there anything else we can do for you?" Francis asked before I shut the bathroom door behind me.

"No, thank you." I smiled and locked the door behind me.

I stepped into the shower and could feel the grossness washing off me.

The fact I saw some dirt actually wash off freaked me out and I felt very embarrassed I was talking to such beautiful men in that state.

I had brought in my special shampoo and conditioning and lathered it on for a solid minute and worked extra hard scrubbing it and washing all the suds out.

I hadn't had a shower like this since the last time I was home more than a month ago. I sat down in the shower and leaned over the side of the tub and sighed in relief.

I could've easily dozed off but I started thinking about the three men and the coming week.

So, first of all, I'd have to put up with whatever sounds they and their girls made having sex. What if they asked me to have sex? I could never do something like that, it was too embarrassing and personal.

I shook the worrying thought from my mind and began worrying about everything else. Would the bed be comfy enough? Would I start feeling anxious in a stranger's home? What if I accidentally offend them, or don't thank them enough, or asked for too much? What if I hate it here and want to leave even though they were so nice to offer me a place to stay? What if they're murderers? Why does everyone know them? Why did they call Helmut a boy when he was clearly older? Why did they act so suspicious when Gilbert said he didn't need a flashlight? Why was Helmut so scared of Antonio and what did Officer Shenck mean when he told them not to get into too much trouble when he was looking at me?

Too many questions, I didn't want to start freaking myself out, so I forced them away, for now.


	4. Chapter Three | TemptationXMovie

I turned off the shower eventually so I didn't ring up their water bill.

I stepped out and realized I never got a towel.

Crap. These men are obviously players and already I'm in a situation where I need them to bring me a towel while I'm naked.

Thankfully they have a thick shower curtain.

I got close to the door dripping water everywhere and called for Francis.

I heard him come up the stairs unnaturally fast and heard his voice right at the door.

"Yes, ___? Need something?"

"Yeah...um, I forgot a towel, sorry..."

"It's no problem." He said sweetly and I heard the closet open as he got one.

I heard the handle jiggle and I jumped.

"W-Wait, I'll unlock it but don't open it until I say so okay," I demanded worriedly.

He agreed and I unlocked the door and quickly hopped into the tub and shrunk into a ball behind the shower curtains.

"Okay, you can leave it on the sink please," I said timidly and I heard the door open and felt the cool air draft in.

I heard him step a foot in and set the towel down before he left and I heard his voice on the other side of the door.

I peeked behind the curtain and quickly locked the door again as I grabbed the towel and dried off.

It was almost too fluffy to actually be of use which was kind of annoying but I wouldn't say anything about it.

I wrapped the towel around my head so it'd stay there and got dressed into the night clothes I'd remembered.

Nothing too embarrassing or feminine. Just normal clothes that were comfortable enough to sleep in. A lose black shirt that read "You've cat to be kitten me right meow", and my thin beach wear black pants that I wore too often. If I was a cartoon they'd be my generic clothing.

I stepped out of the bathroom and turned on the fan to air it out.

They brightened up when they saw me again and I headed downstairs.

They head a container of cookie dough ice cream sitting out on the table.

"Want some?" They asked.

I nodded frantically and jumped down the flight of stairs to the table and practically threw the lid off of it.

They laughed and each grabbed a spoon.

Gilbert handed me a spoon and we dug in.

I looked at my fajita ingredients.

I stepped away from the ice-cream quickly, I didn't want them to eat it all and I put away the ingredients.

"This is gonna be my dinner and dessert," I said stuffing my face and Francis laughed.

"Wanna watch tv?" Gilbert asked with his mouth full and wiped his mouth off with a napkin Francis shoved into his hands.

I nodded.

Antonio fished through a large stack of CDs.

"What kind of movies do you like?" Gilbert asked, leaving Francis and I with the ice cream tub.

Francis took a break from the ice cream so I could stuff it down and watched happily.

He glanced to his two friends, got up and headed to them while they fished through the movies.

Gilbert looked at me and I realized I never answered his question.

"Uh, I like horror movies," I said.

Gilbert laughed like he won a bet and looked through a stack of them.

"Sure, how about..." He was clearly looking for one in particular, "aha, Antichrist." He said joyously.

"Sure, never seen that one. What's it rated?"

"R, why?" He asked as he put it in.

"No reason, just most r movies are really gory or have lots of foul language or nudity."

Gilbert burst out laughing.

"That's basically vhat a horror movie is though."

"Yeah but sometimes it's pushed too far I think."

"Okay then, I'll tell you vhen it gets intense." He promised and waved it off laughing still.

Antonio and Francis pushed the two couches closer together and pulled in two long chairs from the storage closet that fit perfectly with the two couches.

"Cool couch," I said looking at it. Clearly, it was meant to be put together.

There was even a hook for the couches so they wouldn't slide apart.

"Yeah, it's like a huge play pin almost." Gilbert grinned.

Francis rolled his eyes.

"You make it sound so childish now." He sighed.

Antonio stifled a laugh and jumped into the couches.

He put a few pillows together and patted the space next to him.

I hesitated only for a second and finished my ice cream and threw out the tub.

"Did you seriously finish all that?" Antonio asked in surprise.

I nodded trying to swallow the rest of it and wiped my mouth off with one of the kitchen hand towels before I sat in between Francis and Antonio as Gilbert got the movie to play.

I barely knew these three, yet they had a very magnetic relaxing feeling to them. Something that put me at ease as if I was very close to them.

I jumped over the back of the couch and jumped into the pile of pillows.

Gilbert snickered and pushed Francis aside to sit next to me instead.

Francis made a growling sound and I looked at him.

Antonio and Gilbert looked like they had stiffened a bit in surprise and Francis laughed lightly hoping I hadn't noticed.

I ignored it and Gilbert and Antonio relaxed and sat next to me while Francis leaned against Gilbert instead.

The movie started and I wasn't sure what to expect but I noticed the longer the movie was on the closer they seemed to get to me, it was still only trailers though.

I ignored it, I didn't mind men getting close to me if they didn't act up. I didn't have any kind of attraction to them so it didn't bother me but even though they'd been kind to me if they began to step out of line I'd stop it.

I still had my pocket knife, fittingly in my pocket.

I enjoyed seeing the trailers for movies that'd come out long ago.

Gilbert tried to skip them and got frustrated with the remote while Antonio tried not to laugh at him.

Gilbert pressed play and as soon as the movie started I already regretted it.

I didn't make him turn it off, clearly, he liked it and it'd seemed kind of rude to me to choose a new one as soon as it started.

The opening scene was immediately close to porn and I shut my eyes but I could hear the moans of the couple on screen and heard Gilbert laugh at my scrunched up face.

"Nothing scary is happening, you okay mädchen?" He laughed.

"I don't like sex scenes," I muttered and Antonio laughed quietly and patted my head.

"Haha, sorry Chica but Gilbert just put on a really graphic one." Antonio apologized.

"Fudge you, Gilbert." I murdered and Francis started laughing loudly.

"Want to turn it off then?" He asked but I hook my head.

"No just tell me when it's over," I said.

He smirked and nodded and ruffled my hair like Antonio had but he left his arm behind me and every so often twirled a strand of hair around his finger.

I felt him move closer when he told me the scene was over and noticed Antonio had his arm behind me too, holding Gilbert's gently.

Apparently, the baby of the couple managed to crawl out a window and die.

Now the woman was suffering depression in a hospital.

Her husband tried to help her instead and she kept demanding forceful sex and I kept closing my eyes and my ears.

For a little bit after that, the sex stopped for a while, while they went to a cabin and now there were scenes of hurt animals which made me kind of sad as an animal lover.

It took me some time to get the movie; eventually, nature turned against them, then the guy found reports of witches and then they had sex again.

Gilbert couldn't stop laughing though. Other than the fact I kept having to close my eyes because of the nudity it was a decent movie. I'd seen worse, horror-wise, not graphically.

"Never seen porn?" Gilbert asked jokingly and when I nodded the three looked astonished.

"Vhat? No vay anyone is that pure?" He asked and Antonio nodded.

I laughed at them. "Well, you don't know me very well."

"When the movie is over you should tell us more," Antonio suggested and they nodded.

I leaned back into the pillows and noticed Antonio and Gilbert were pressed against me now on either side.

Francis glanced at me every so often looking kind of jealous of his friends.

At some point, Gilbert quickly covered my eyes suddenly remembering something and I ask him what was going on hearing all the screaming.

"Oh...she's just, smashing his groin with a brick."

"Oh my god," I said.

"And then she masturbates to him."

"What the- Scheiße?"

"And then she ejaculates blood-"

"Okay, too much information," I said and Gilbert laughed.

This didn't really annoy me, I had friends who said worse very casually but I understood why he found it funny.

Clearly, these three were very different from me.

I was very reserved and tried to be modest and as soon as I met them they'd warned me they'd be having girls over, and before I'd even met them that drunk girl in town seemed to have hinted at it as well as the cop referencing their trouble.

Wait? Does that cop think they're going to have sex with me? No wonder he was looking at me all weird.

Geez, I hope no one thinks that's why I'm here.

After another graphic scene, Gilbert warned me about and then went on to describe to me the movie was over.

"Enjoy it?" Gilbert asked smiling expectantly.

"Other than closing my eyes literally half of it, yes," I said and they laughed.

"Okay, so now we get to hear more about you," Antonio said and turned to his side looking at me.

"Okay, like what? But I don't know much about you either."

"Okay, then every question we ask you, we have to answer too," Francis suggested and they nodded.

"Okay." I agreed and sat up a little bit.

They stayed mostly on their backs looking up at me.

"Favorite movie?" Antonio asked.

"Geez, Toni that's such a boring question," Gilbert said and I laughed at him.

"Geez, I can't choose," I said.

"No, you have to answer." Antonio insisted.

"I like pretty much every movie."

"That's not an answer." He laughed.

"It's good enough" I insisted.

"Fine, Favorite Colors?"

"Mein Gott, Toni, ask something juicy," Gilbert complained and I laughed at him again.

Antonio smiled as I laughed and answered quickly.

"Blood red, black, and dark gray."

"Well then..." Antonio said surprised by my answer.

"Blood red?" Francis asked.

"Don't judge me okay. I enjoy the darker things in life. I think blood is really beautiful." I explained and Gilbert nodded, he focused on me for a minute.

Antonio got annoyed staring up at a light and turned them off and I noticed the lit candles.

Suddenly I began to think they might be planning something.

I grew nervous and Gilbert suggested I lay down like they were.

As soon as I got close to them I felt the same relaxing magnetic aura as before.

I felt my entire body relax and my worries fade away.

Their bodies were cold but their breath was warm with a familiar tangy scent I couldn't put my finger on.

Today had been a stressful day so becoming so easily relaxed didn't surprise me.

"Okay here's a real question," Gilbert said and leaned in closer to my ear.

"Have you ever had sex?"


	5. Chapter Four | ForestXPrick

I knew it. I knew they'd ask. Maybe I was stereotyping pretty boys but most of them seemed to be players like I thought.

I wasn't going to say yes, but for a moment I entertained the thought.

No. I shook the thoughts from my head. Gilbert bore over me with a smirk. Francis was playing with my hair, pressed against my right side with Antonio was pressed against my left and playing with the hem of my shirt.

"N-no. I've never done anything like that before." I said shyly.

Gilbert smirked while Antonio looked surprised and Francis looked almost sad for me.

"Mademoiselle, you poor thing, deprived of such euphoria." He said solemnly.

Antonio sniffed my hair, it smelled like strawberries now thanks to my shampoo and he smiled happily. Probably happy it wasn't so dirty anymore but it was still kind of wet.

Gilbert crawled over me, our bodies inches apart from each other. I was fifty shades of red and he only made it worse when he touches my forehead with his own and asked with a devilish grin-

"Want to then?"

"Wh-what?" Was all I could manage.

"The three of us. We'll be kind to you." Antonio whispered into my ear. 

"We'll be gentle, unless you want to be rough," Gilbert said with a lustful grin plastered across his face.

I froze up. I tried not to imagine what he was implying.

I could see him caressing me gently and just the opposite I could see him tearing my clothes off and biting my chest, leaving hickeys and bruises everywhere.

I forced myself to stop thinking those thoughts.

"We understand if you don't want to though, three at once can be rather overwhelming," Francis assured me. He sounded more seductive though when he said that, not comforting. He was adding to the tension building up. Again unwelcome images came to mind.

I was naked, I was sweaty and the pillows and cushions and blankets on the couch were messed up and entangled as the three of them took full advantage of my body.

"Especially for a Virgin," Gilbert added with half-lidded eyes, trying to be as seductive as he could. I wondered what was going through his mind, was he thinking about getting to take my first time. Was he wondering if I'd be able to take him? I could almost see the lust in his eyes, the growing want.

"And you've never done it before," Antonio added.

"That's what being a virgin means, stupid," Gilbert said and Antonio glared at him. I wanted to laugh at their bickering but I was still in shock and trying not to think about what they were likely thinking about. The things they intended to do to me.

"Yes, but has she even been in this situation before?" He questioned.

"Umm." I tried speaking up as they talked amongst themselves about me.

I was right there though, they could ask.

I wasn't scared of them, even though I was scared of sex, something told me I was safe with them even in this situation. I was uncomfortable and I think Francis noticed because he put his hand on Gilbert's shoulder.

"Don't scare 'er now." He cautioned and Gilbert noticed I was trembling.

Not fearfully, unbeknownst to them I was trying to shake away the dirty thoughts they were giving me.

"Oh, Entschuldigung!" He said quickly and sat beside Antonio on my right, thinking he'd scared me.

I sat upright quickly, trying not to pant. My forehead was slightly damp, not from my wet hair but from the slight anxiety the situation was giving me.

"Umm, lo siento mucho." Antonio apologized and sat up.

"Sorry." I murmured and clutched my sides.

"Why are you apologizing?" Francis asked.

"I don't know, I must be Canadian or something." I laughed quietly. "You didn't do anything wrong, I just- like Francis said, sex...it scares me." I trailed off quietly.

I didn't like to admit this to guys often because they immediately lost interest in me.

"I don't mean to be invasive but do you know why?" Antonio asked concerned, he put his hand on my knee worried I might spill a tragic back story.

"It's just always been that way. Nothing happened to me, I've just always been somewhat repulsed by it." I admitted. Ever since I found out how children were made, since I found out people were naked, I never looked at anyone the same and I shunned relationships.

"That's fine, I 'ope we didn't scare you off just now." He said.

"No, you didn't. You're very calming." I told them.

Antonio smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Je m'excuse," Francis said and held my hand comforting.

They seemed apologetic but Gilbert especially seemed disappointed, maybe a little annoyed.

Antonio glared at his friend and Gilbert scratched his head and sighed.

"It's late now, is there anything else you want to do to pass the time?" He asked.

I pondered the idea but I shrugged.

"I don't really know, what do you guys do for fun?"

Gilbert smirked and raised one eyebrow mischievously. "I think it's clear what we do for fun." He said.

Antonio and Francis nodded with an equally devilish grin.

"Is that all you do?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Mostly." Antonio nodded.

I rolled my eyes. "Geez, that sort of thing is supposed to be saved for someone special." I scolded. Even though I didn't intend to find that someone in my life and even if I did I didn't want to expose myself to them like that, it's what I was raised to believe.

Gilbert laughed.

"There's a slight difference between sex and making love though." He chortled.

"Making love is to your partner, it's intimate and binding. Sex is a form of lovemaking but it's more based on fun and pleasure, not really focused on the participants just on the feeling." Francis explained.

I went to bed shortly afterward, still embarrassed. That was the first time I'd ever been faced so directly with the proposal of having sex. I'd find myself in the coming future dealing with such many more times especially as I'd soon grow closer to them, more than I could've imagined at that time.

I took my pills out of their sight, I didn't need them to know I needed so many just to remain stable. It scared some people or they started feeling bad for me and I didn't need sympathy. For the most part, it was vitamins or pills to keep me awake and then to get me to sleep.

Downstairs and in the hallway, it was chillingly quiet.

I turned the ceiling fan on so I'd have decent white noise and my every toss and turn in bed wouldn't be heard by the whole house.

After fifteen minutes and I hadn't drifted to sleep yet, even with my pills I had a feeling it was for a reason.

Was I excited about something? Was I missing out on something? Was I in regret, scared, anxious? Or maybe, I was in danger.

But I didn't feel like I was in danger. I was chilled, I didn't have little bumps on my arm, my heart wasn't beating faster, I wasn't sweating. Any tell tale sign I recognized as fear or endangerment that I got often in times I was alone in more dangerous countries, wasn't there.

What was there was the three young men downstairs? The couches had been rearranged back to normal and the three discussed something very seriously and so quietly I couldn't hear them.

They eyed me immediately as I stepped down the stairs, even though my footsteps were extremely light. I'd thought they were anyway?

"Need something?" Antonio spoke up.

Gilbert proceeded to ask if I'd changed my mind and Antonio punched his arm.

"No-I, I just need some water. If that's okay?" I asked and Francis nodded and got up quickly. He opened the cabinet above the sink and took out a glass. It was dusty.

He washed the dust out.

Did they not drink from the glasses often?

Francis noticed my arched brow, which I'd raised out of habit.

"Usually we drink from our bottles." He said nervously and pointed to three metallic bottles on the side of the sink, drying off.

I nodded. Oh, I was the same way. I always had one bottle I preferred over the others.

He filled my glass up with water from the fridge and handed it to me carefully.

I thanked him and ascended the stairs quietly and slowly, I looked down again at the three as Francis rejoined them and picked up on whatever they'd been discussing.

It was very suspicious to me and I paused for a moment at the top of the stairs, out of sight.

I couldn't even hear their whispers.

I could hear them shift on the couches or take note of something, one of them checked their phone, it was quiet enough to hear him unlock the main screen.

I gave up and shut the door to my room quietly.

I got back under the covers and felt a wave of anxiety, I needed to sleep the day off.

In a week I'd be out of here, nothing seemed too dangerous at the moment, I'd given my mom my location in case and a safe word I'd put into a conversation if I was in trouble, without saying I was in trouble.

I felt secure and I kept my gun under my pillow for safety and my pocket knife in hand.

It fell off the bed at some point, I heard it and felt it leave my grip as my hand relaxed like the rest of my body and drifted into sleep.

Like anyone else I don't remember falling asleep, when it happened that is, but it did.

I woke up earlier than I usually did. Maybe because I was in an unfamiliar atmosphere. I traveled a lot but still all that time I was in my familiar, cozy van.

I sat up groggily and hunched over a few minutes nodding off until I stretched and forced myself out of bed.

The wooden ground was cold and I didn't have any slippers.

I rubbed my arms and stood up slowly.

I took a sip of water and went downstairs slowly.

Antonio greeted me with a wave as he drank from his metallic bottle.

He licked his lips and sighed, satisfied from drinking.

"Thirsty?" I asked, teasing.

He nodded, "Very. Gilbert and Francis went out to drink."

"At eight in the morning?" I asked with an arched brow, stretching my arms out as we conversed.

"Not alcohol, there's a nice place in town they frequent." He said calmly like he was tired too.

"How late were you three up?" I asked sympathetically. In my younger years, that makes me sound old, but anyways those days I'd get no more than three hours of sleep, going to bed at four or five and getting up before eight. I knew how he must feel but he shook his head.

"Not too tired, I'm used to all-nighters." He said and sat up, stretching his arms too.

"You didn't go to sleep at all?"

"No, our co-op needed us to work on something."

"A co-op, what kind?" I asked, tilting my head like a child.

"It's sort of an investment group. There's a lot of businessmen and CEOs." He said looking through a book on the couch. It was full of detailed elegantly written notes.

"Your handwriting is amazing," I said. I wasn't sure if it was his actually, despite them speaking fluent German among French and Spanish the notes were in perfect English.

He blushed and thanked me flipping through the notes quickly like he was trying to show off. The calligraphy was amazing.

I smiled. "Can I see some of the notes?"

"No." He said quickly, it caught me by surprise.

"Oh, lo siento." He said even faster. He tucked the book under his arm and excused himself from the room rushing to the study.

He came back without the book and apologized again, looking jumpy. 

The front door opened loudly and Francis and Gilbert walked in looking satisfied.

"Hola, Chicos! Having fun-Did you have fun, completos?" He asked switching back and forth between English and Spanish.

They gave him a questioning look as their friend panicked.

I was just as curious as they were as to why he was so nervous.

He calmed himself down and took a long gulp from his water bottle and wiped his mouth off with his dark wooly sleeve.

He had on a cute red sweater with green hemming like a Christmas sweater but it didn't look like a holiday sweater.

He laughed nervously again and left up the stairs to his room.

"I think I need a cat nap." He said and left me with the other two.

Gilbert held up a grocery bag with a Frosted Flakes box inside and grinned sheepishly.

"Want some? We didn't have many breakfast foods." He explained.

I nodded enthusiastically and thanked them profusely. I ate straight from the box like a starved animal.

A questioning looks from them and I blushed and slowed down.

"Shorry." I said with my mouthful.

Gilbert laughed and let Francis know he was going to check up on Antonio.

"Oui, I 'aven't seen 'im act like zhat before...not since..." and then he trailed off and they shared a knowing look.

Gilbert left up the stairs quickly and I heard the door to Antonio's room open up. Gilbert said something but I couldn't understand it and their voices were blocked out when the door shut.

Francis sat down at the round table across from me.

He didn't know what to say and looked around for a second.

"So...did you sleep well?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, you?" Even though I already knew the answer, it was likely they hadn't slept either.

"Didn't sleep, busy working on a project for our business partners." He explained.

"You mean your co-op?" I asked and he looked startled.

"Huh?"

"Antonio said you were a part of a co-op with lots of businessmen. Can you tell me about it?"

"Oh, sûr. It was founded by Chinese business owner, Yang. For a while our British acquaintance-" he grimaced at that part, maybe they didn't get along? ", tried to boss everyone around but then his protégé took over instead, Alfred, he's very strict with us. He can be kind of scary actually so we always make sure to get things done. After you leave this week we're hosting a small dinner here, to talk about a portion of investment a few of us are involved with."

"What kind of people are they? The ones in the co-op?"

I asked.

He took a minute to think about it.

"Dangerous...well I mean that is if you mess with them. Honestly, every one of them is a lot like us. Players, they fool around, they're flirtatious, they act like young teens at times, they make stupid jokes, we all have fun and uphold certain traditions the modern world doesn't see so often."

"Really like what?" I asked excitedly.

"Oh...well nothing you'd be interested in." He tried making a hand gesture to help me understand he was referring to more intimate things but I didn't understand.

He sighed and Gilbert came back downstairs.

Francis looked at him curiously and Gilbert tried to explain as simply as he could "he just needed a little help." He said.

"With what?" I asked.

"Just some stuff." He brushed off and I frowned.

"So anyvay, vant us to take you into town, mädchen?" He said lightheartedly changing the subject from whatever it was on before because I still wasn't so sure.

I shrugged and nodded.

"Sure, what kind of places are here?" I asked happily.

"Hmm, there's a historic trail I could show you. You said you liked that sort of thing right?" He asked and I nodded enthusiastically until my neck hurt.

I jumped a little, very excited and he grinned, glad to see me so happy. Or maybe he was just trying to distract me from their weird behavior that morning.

I darted upstairs and got changed into some nicer hiking clothes. A loose camouflage shirt, black shorts, narwhale socks, and my dirty sneakers. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and brought a small jacket to tie around my waist in case I got cold.

I rushed back downstairs after dabbing on some makeup and pulled up google maps on my phone.

"We don't need google maps, we know every pebble in this town," Gilbert said.

"Every pebble?" I asked sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised." He smirked and I rolled my eyes and laughed.

We piled into his car, aside from Antonio who was entangled in his bed sheets, exhausted mentally and physically.

The ride was short. Not very scenic, rather the path was unknown by everyone but them and a select few, so they say.

Behind a mechanic shop, not the one my poor van was in but an out of business, long abandoned building, a shell of what it once was; was the path.

You could barely tell it was there, it wasn't walked often, but it lead right from the back door of the abandoned building through tall grass and right into the woods.

The path was pressed down enough, the grass had been dug up, but the dirt path was overgrown with vines, Ivy, broken branches, fallen trees and dead leaves that hadn't withered away yet.

The leaves crunched loudly as we entered along the path.

Gilbert looked around reminiscing. He pointed to a broken boulder out of the corner of my eyes.

"There, see that?" He asked and I nodded and we stayed very quiet as if we were looking at a wild animal.

"Those breaks are caused by gunfire. An American fleet ran into this forest and only three survived, they managed to escape behind the boulder but the few remaining wiped out the German troops before the boulder broke." He explained in great detail.

"How do you know?"

"I studied it, checked the timelines, the troop destinations, stories from soldiers, the remaining evidence." He explained still looking at the boulder closely.

"Over there, that tree is still very young, not even a hundred, that's where the troops died. That tree was one of ten planted where the soldiers died when they were retrieved later. The other trees fell but I think that tree there survives on the blood spilled from the soldiers." He said, thinking almost philosophically.

He told it almost like he was there.

"You should be a tour guide." I complimented. "You tell the story, like you were there, like you saw it, read about it in the newspapers decades ago," I said in awe.

He blushed and nodded, he had a cute smile but Francis looked at him nervously.

"Gilbert, likes to see a story in everything." He added. "There are lots of bullets and such still littered in the forest, Gilbert feels like he can see it himself sometimes." He said and Gilbert looks at him with an arched brow but turned to me and nodded smiling.

"That's so lucky," I said and he looked surprised. "What I wouldn't do to see the past, I'm so in love with it. Sometimes I take little tokens I'm not supposed to from historic sites and have dreams about them. I wish I could go back in time. I would love to fight for the allies, for freedom, to be a part of the biggest most life-changing event in history. More recent history anyways." I trailed off, realizing I was rambling on as I tended to do and blushed.

He laughed at my embarrassment and assured me he didn't mind my rambling if I didn't mind his.

Francis seemed to get more worried the further along the trail we went.

Often I noticed Francis would send Gilbert a worried look or bite his lip like Gilbert was spilling national secrets.

We heard a branch snap behind us and out of nowhere appeared Antonio.

I stumbled backward in surprise and Gilbert caught me and held me upright.

"How the mierda?" I cursed, brushing the imaginary dirt off my clothes.

"Geez, Toni you turn into a ficken ninja?" Gilbert cursed and Francis glared at him.

"I-I just wanted to surprise you three?" He said but it sounded more like a question and Francis gave him a deadpan face like he wasn't gonna accept that answer.

"I got bored."

"...."

"I'm very quiet you know that, I decided to tag along." He said frustratedly.

Francis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"Be more careful, people like ___ 'ere are not used to your habits." He advised but it sounded almost threatening.

Antonio nodded nervously and waved to me and smiled.

We'd been in the forest almost forty minutes at that point, how did he find us, or catch up with us? How did he know where we were going?

Answering my question before I had the chance to ask it he spoke up "I heard you were coming here, I couldn't miss a chance to hear Gil's stories, I was tired so I took a little bit, sorry for the disturbance." He said awkwardly but Francis and Gilbert still looked very annoyed and didn't meet his gaze as we all continued down the trail.

Francis put a hand on my back urging me to stay ahead of him and Antonio sighed angrily.

Francis and he stopped for a moment to talk about something out of earshot as Gilbert carefully guided me through a path of thorns so I wouldn't get hurt.

Despite his help, my shirt snagged on a thorn and as I reached to pull it off it pricked my fingertip and a drop of blood dripped out, and fell onto the Auburn leaves.


	6. Chapter Five | BloodXMurder

Despite the small prick of pain, I wouldn't have even noticed I'd been cut had the three men not stood frozen for a minute in shock. 

"It's just a cut guys...no need to be so shocked, fjollet." My dutch slipped through as I tried to bring some normalcy back to the group.

Gilbert shook his head nervously, "Tut mir leid, I should've been more careful."

"I'm not made of glass, I'll be fine, no need to be so concerned. These aren't poisonous thorns, after all, I've studied a bit of botany since I camp often, so no need to look so shocked."

It's like they hadn't realized they were shocked but the fact that Antonio and Francis noticed from their position a few yards away made me think perhaps they were reacting to something else so as their shoulders softened again and they walked at a steady pace again.

"You've studied a bit of everything haven't you, erudito?" Antonio teased sweetly.

"I don't know a lot about each thing but I know a little about everything I can, it's always good to have information no matter how random it might seem."

"So you know dutch too then?" Gilbert asked.

"Nice, you picked up on it, do you know dutch as well?"

"A bit yes, Belgian chicks are hot- ow" Gilbert started but was cut off when Francis hit the top of his head.

"Do you know any other languages?"

"I know whatever parts of them I need to know, I was in Holland recently so it's still on the tip of my tongue."

"Hey Gilbert-" Antonio interrupted.

Gilbert turned to him inquisitively.

"Ja?"

"What is all this."

We paused in a circular clearing. The trees were coated with dried red blood.

My eyes widened in shock.

Gilbert attempted to step in front of me to block my view but I rushed past him to investigate.

"Are you crazy, don't just rush into this kind of place." Gilbert hissed.

"I've seen worse, besides we should know what this is in case we need to report it." I hummed as I looked to frayed rope hidden beneath the leaves.

It wasn't well concealed, there weren't many leaves above it, but there were many below it, it must've been recent. I couldn't sense the bloody tang in the air so it couldn't have been less than a day or so.

Antonio walked to me quickly where I was crouched down over the rope, careful not to touch it. He pulled me up by my arm and dragged me away from the scene to the others.

"Ve've seen this shit before, it's the mark of a murder who's been in the area before, for all ve know vhere are cameras watching, you can't be here anymore," Gilbert growled anxiously.

"You've seen this before personally?"

"We come to these woods a lot, the same thing happened a year ago. It could be an annual thing. Espero que no." Antonia fretted, exchanging a knowing glance with Francis.

Was everyone in this town as peculiar as them?

"___ 'ou should return home. It's best 'ou leave town- and 'ait what do you mean 'ou've seen worse?"

"Delayed reaction, much? I've been to countries on the brink of war, villages on the brink of extinction, towns populated with people on the brink of death. Not all countries are so safe and secure, the third world and even the second don't have that kind of privilege. Even home in the states, there are cities well known for homicide. I got in a knife fight once in Mexico, I've had a gun pointed at me in Norfolk, I got stuck in a bank robbery in Portland, I seem to have a habit of going places where I'm not welcome." I muttered. It was true. Traveling as much as I did, you learn to be cautious, you learn to stomach unpleasant things, you learn to expect things you never would've imagined as a child. 

Seeing the world had its downsides, because not all of the world is pleasant to see, but it's a sad reality and inescapable.

They snapped me out of my distant gaze as my thoughts wandered to the worst situations I'd been in.

"Where's Norfolk, I don't think I've heard of that one?" Gilbert asked.

"That's what you take from what she just said." Antonio arched an eyebrow and Gilbert shrugged.

"Most normal question I could ask." He replied.

"It's a city in Virginia. Used to be a lot worse off but it's gotten a lot better, it's even the largest naval base in the world now. Pretty cool to see all the ships but don't get caught up in the hood or the alleyway." I explained.

"I think that applies everywhere," Antonio advised.

"Yeah, should probably start taking my own advice." I sighed. I wasn't nearly cautious enough, I took risks because I didn't seem to care about the possible outcome, not until I needed to fight to survive did I actually begin to realize I was in danger.

I scratched my side as I did when I recalled the knife fight, feeling the indent of the scar on my waist where I was struck.

Francis patted my back when they noticed my somewhat somber look and turned me around.

"'ell we should get away from 'ere. You don't need any more bad memories, such a beautiful mademoiselle shouldn't have the 'aunted look in 'er eyes that you do." He said a little sadly.

Antonio and Gilbert stayed behind as Francis put his hand in the small of my back, urging me along the path from which we came.

It seemed as if we'd walked much further than before, without Gilbert's war stories to pass the time.

"You have any stories?" I asked Francis when the silence of the forest started to unnerve me.

"About the forest? Not really, zhe three of us come to 'ere to talk or relax, sometimes we eat out 'ere in the clearing beyond zhe tree line at zhe forest's end." He said, his accent thicker than usual, was it a nerve thing?

I didn't mind that he hadn't moved his hand away from my back. It was a little comforting, even though my travels, as well as anime, had desensitized me from bloody scenes, fresh or old, it was still a little troubling, to say the least.

I leaned into him a little, he didn't take it the wrong way, considering what was supposed to be a refreshing walk turned into the discovery of a possible murder scene.

I didn't want to think about it but I did.

Why had the blood splattered, what cameras and where, what was the purpose of this murder, no one had gone missing in town supposedly, at least there hadn't been any commotion about it when I'd been at the fair.

Francis noticed my inquisitive expression and sighed.

"You're still thinking about it aren't you?"

I nodded.

"Anything I can, or we can do, to help take your mind off of it?"

He said this without any smirk or hint of something else entirely, so I wasn't on guard.

"Tell me about the last time this happened."

"Zhat's the opposite of what I just asked."

"Please."

"Fine." He furrowed his brow and sighed. 

"Last time, last year, around this time now, a clearing 'ad been made in the trees and buckets of blood were found. The victims were found buried deep underground, so deep you wouldn't think to look there, they were near a site blocked off for an exhibition for paleontologists, it's like the murderer wanted them to be found. Their necks were slit open and their ankles had rope marks, like they'd been strung upside down and drained of blood. But why? Zhe buckets of blood were just left there, police couldn't figure it out and zhey never found the murdered either. The town and towns nearby were panicked for a long time. The victims weren't even from town, they weren't tourists either, they'd all been missing a very long time from different parts of the world. It's like the killer was sending a message, trying to attract attention." He was deep in thought now. He looked very troubled.

When he stopped speaking the silence of the forest seemed almost unnatural, I hadn't noticed how eerie it was until then. Gilbert had spoken on the way there and the shock of what we'd seen had distracted me until now. The birds weren't even chirping, I didn't even see any birds, or other creatures for that matter. The wind wasn't blowing, the whole forest was still.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I quickened my pace.

"Did I Trouble you?" He asked worriedly.

"We need to leave now. The forest is too quiet, that always spells trouble." I urged him and he nodded.

The abandoned gas station we'd exited to get into the forest was in sight but I didn't run, I didn't want to quicken my heartbeat or seem too afraid. Sometimes running just provoked the threat.

But what was threatening me?

When we got into the car Francis pulled his phone out and spoke urgently to Antonio and Gilbert who I could just barely hear on the other side.

He glanced at me before exiting the car to avoid me listening in, my multilingualism was a disadvantage for people trying to have a bit of privacy.

I cracked the window down just a bit, so little he wouldn't notice, not with his back turned to the car anyways.

"A cheapann tú go bhfuil Arthur ag bácáil arís?" I heard him speak so quickly I could barely make out he was using Irish now.

How many languages did they speak, it was a little suspicious. Perhaps it was because of their co-op partners being from around the world, but if he wanted to be discreetly walking away from the car would've been enough, not needing to speak in Irish, a language not even used often anymore.

"Ní hé seo a stíl, ní ó chogadh na huafó-Shacsanaí."

Was I supposed to know what any of this meant? Did he just mention the Anglo Saxon Wars, and who was this Arthur he kept mentioning with such destain.

I rolled the window back up and read his lips, he had switched back to German by the looks of it, could he tell I had been listening earlier?

I knew a bit of Irish but from their conversation, I was starting to doubt how good I was at it, unless the bits I'd heard just didn't make sense out of context but I had heard it correctly.

At least two minutes later he hung up the phone and Antonio and Gilbert emerged from the tree line and they walked back to the car.

"Perdón por hoy, no se suponía que fuera así. Obviously." Antonio apologized.

Gilbert arched a brow. "Please choose one language per conversation, Schwachkopf." Gilbert said sternly though he was obviously just teasing.

"Oh-Mein Fehler-mi error-ack! My bad I mean. Sorry Chika, my mind is a bit scrambled right now, parece." He sighed.

"Dude no worries, multilingualism screws up our brains sometimes, haha." I laughed reassuring him I didn't mind him switching back and forth. It was good practice anyway, if two tongues tied multilingual could keep up with each other it was a win in my book.

"Do we head home now, or go to the police station?" I asked, turning around to face Antonio and Gilbert in the back seat.

"We already spoke to them," Gilbert said firmly.

"And they don't want you to show them out or file a report?" I asked. I'd had to file a report on being sent an explicit image before, this was much more serious.

"No, it's best to stay far away from there. We'll let the professionals do their job." Antonio explained.

They'd only been speaking with each other, no other calls had been made, not that I saw. I felt like they were lying, but why? Were they connected to this, if so was I in danger with these three, despite the entire town adoring them? They were skilled at making things up on the spot if they really were fibbing. It wasn't hard to make something like that up, it wasn't complicated, but it seemed natural to them, like an immediate answer they'd rehearsed.

These silver-tongued men stayed silent the rest of the short drive to their home.

I had a habit of sticking my nose where it didn't belong but in this situation, I really wanted to. But I knew this wasn't something I'd come out of unscathed, not if I went back to the forest, not if I dug up what was really going on.

Not if I learned the whole truth, about them.


	7. Chapter Six | TimesXLeaving

That had happened six days ago.

I'm meant to leave tomorrow but honestly, I think I'd miss them a bit. They're very mysterious in their own right while also being open books about all other things. They're fun and carefree and they really care about each other and me.

I could see myself staying longer.

They'd done their best to make me feel at home, but there were some things that were still uncomfortable.

Especially after the weird incident. They were really on edge, we still talked but they were more cautious about when I left to town.

They made sure one of them was always with me and they hung outside the bars but never went in. Like they were looking for someone, guarding something.

I'm not sure how much trust I should put in them. They seem to care about everyone's safety yet they're still hiding something potentially deadly.

They mentioned an Arthur, they said it'd happened before.

They called the police and the police questioned them and they tried to keep me out of it, but the officer saw me.

The same one from the night I met the three.

He said it was nice to see me again.

He asked if I was one of them now.

I asked him to clarify.

He didn't.

He asked what I saw.

I saw blood splattered trees. A saw frayed rope not there long enough to be buried in the leaves. He told me he was sorry I had to see that. I told him I'd seen worse.

He asked me what that meant.

I told him he didn't need to know.

I've been talking with my mom since then, she doesn't know I'm staying with three strange men. That wouldn't make her feel any better than me stranded by the German border, but I did send my best friend my location. I did that on occasion, so people always know the last place I stopped. Even if I'm just filling up gas, safety is key for a life on the road, all alone.

I've had difficulty writing while being here. I'm an author, it's how I make money, but they're so distracting.

Especially when women come over.

There's no way anything can feel good enough to make you scream.

I mentioned my thoughts on that the day after and they smirked and told me 'wanna bet?'.

I didn't really wanna find out for myself, I'm not comfortable enough to be sexual with them, not with anyone actually.

I'm surprised the kind of girls that drop by. They aren't always strippers or dressed inappropriately, some of them seem like shy introverts. One girl looked like she cut her wrists. She was lonely and beautiful but she thought very little of herself. Surely someone like the three of them saw nothing in her. Gilbert told me they often flirt with the girls like her, who think they aren't worth anything. The girl left happily, reassured in herself. They'd kissed her wrists as the parted ways and the next time I saw her a few days later there were no recent scars.

I'd gotten to talking to her a bit, she thought very highly of them.

In fact, everyone in town thought highly of them.

I'd dropped by a popular German food chain restaurant and all the staff knew them. By the exchanged looks it would seem our waiter, Gunter, had probably slept with them.

After I exchanged a suspicious look with them, Francis revealed he's pansexual, Antonio is bisexual and Gilbert is heterosexual but is always down for a good time no matter the gender. He winked at me when he said that. No thanks, Gilbert.

I was really judgmental of their way of life when I was younger but I got past it, I learned their way of thinking and finding out I was demisexual made it easier to relate. Besides in this age, it's impossible to not know anyone who's not one hundred percent straight. Even in church at least half, the youth group has never been totally straight or at some point hadn't considered it.

Last night was the hardest to work, I'm pretty sure they had an orgy.

I tried to block it out but I couldn't even go downstairs there were at least twenty people in the house and one girl kept asking me to join. 

I kept refusing and when she showed up in just a bra, literally nothing else I threw a pillow at her and Antonio pulled her away from the doorway apologizing profusely.

I didn't get much sleep to say the least.

Now it's late night again, I'm trying to get work done.

No one is over this time; instead, they're downstairs reading an ancient book that looks like it belongs in the Vatican archives.

"Vhat are you typin'?" Gilbert asked taking a break from reading, hovering over me.

"Nothing if you're gonna watch." I quipped.

He shrugged and stepped back sitting next to me on the couch instead.

I was stuck again. Writer's block.

I've never had such confidence in a story as I did with this one and without the constant change in scenery and relaxation of the bed in my van, it was hard to get things done. Especially distracted by these three men.

"Gil, focus on the task at hand." Francis urged and he sighed and rolled his eyes, not moving from his place next to me.

"Watcha readin'," I asked, I shut my laptop in defeat. Tomorrow when I was away, that's when I could work again.

"Ancient prophecies," Francis mumbled.

"You steal that thing from the Vatican?" I joked.

"...haha." Gilbert laughed in monotone.

"No," Francis said like he was unsure of the question.

"You hesitated."

"That means nothing," Antonio assured me.

"Just lost in thought." Francis sighed.

"Can you tell me some of the prophecies?" I asked.

"Nien."

"Dude."

"Sorry, Chika, not translatable in English."

You looked at the strange writing, "what language is that? I've never seen it before."

"Ancient Greek." Antonio lied.

"aftó den eínai ellinikó."

"Fuck." Gilbert cursed.

"Yeah, I speak lots of languages you can't fool me."

"It's a dead language, it's called Vampri," Francis answered.

"What did vampires speak it?"

"...haha. No." Antonio laughed.

"Y'all are being weird."

"We're just messing with you Frau, no worries. Francis works for a linguistic company, vhey found an old book vhey vant translated is all." Gilbert explained.

"Oh really, cause I thought you worked for an investment company?"  
"They give us odd jobs it's not just talking about stocks." Francis hummed.  
"Ci, no worries mi amore."

"Well, at least my last night isn't spent in my room avoiding drunk half-naked ladies." I sighed.

They suddenly perked up.

"Ah, that's right, you leave tomorrow," Francis said sadly.

"Ci." I sighed and leaned back into the couch. "Well, it's been fun. Don't really agree with yall's habits but you've been very welcoming and somewhat suspicious, so thanks for the entertainment." I said in a lighthearted manner.

They frowned.

"Vell, ve can always offer a vittle more entertainment if you're up for it before you go?" Gilbert smirked.

"Nope," I said bluntly.

"We really have never met a girl like you, you know. It's a shame you must go. Honestly, we'd love it if you joined our little group." Francis said sweetly.

Gilbert and Antonio eyed him in suspicious surprise.

"Well, ___ 'ere seems to be exactly the kind of person to fit in with us." He explains.

"Hm...I suppose but she doesn't seem like she'd be interested." Antonio added.

"I swear if you're talking about some weird role play or orgy thing I'm gonna be mad," I grumbled.

Antonio waved his hands in disagreement, "no, no- no worries my friend." He said.

"Ve're just concerned for your safety," Gilbert added.

"I'll be fine."

"But vill you really? What have you seen worse than what you saw in the forest?"

"Things."

"Vhat's not an answer."

"If it's something so bad you can't even talk about it zhen maybe you shouldn't go back out there." Francis worried.

"It's fine. The world isn't all sparkles guys. I've seen poverty, starving children, people living in dumps, people dying of disease, I've seen people die right in front of me. I've survived a shooting, hell, I've been shot. People always look at me because I'm the foreigner, I go to countries where you don't really see people like me. I expected attention because of it and I went to countries and cities knowing how dangerous they were. But I'm trained in martial arts, I'm trained with a gun and I'm great with a dagger. Not to mention I always let people know where I am and I always have a friend nearby or a family member call to talk to when I need it. I'll be okay on my own just like I have been since I began traveling." I explained.

They looked more worried than before.

"Shot? Did they catch the guy!?" Gilbert exclaimed angrily.

"No."

"I'll kill him-"

"You can't."

"Of course I can-"

"Because I already did..." I trailed off. I don't like remembering these things. Survival or not, killing is killing. You live hearing that gunshot and seeing the blood around them, on yourself, forever.

"Stay with us, Chica." Antonio urged.

"Ve haven't had the best lives either, I think it'd do us good to stick togevher. The vorld vill get a lot tougher from here on." Gilbert said.

"I know. That's why I've gotta see it now. That's why I'll help make it a better place." I smiled and patted Gilbert's head.

He looked more confused than a cat with a bow on its head, if that makes any sense.

"Really, you have no idea Vhat's coming."

"And neither do you unless that book is at all accurate."

Francis closed the giant, leather-bound book and looked intensely at you.

"We could teach you how to read it."

"Francis-" Gilbert started.

"It would be nice to have her around longer, no?" He argues with a smile.

"Wouldn't it be nice ___, to live not fearing death, to not fear at all. To never feel pain again. To live without your disorders, without your many efforts to keep safe."

"There are downsides to that though."

"Oh?" Francis asked, amused. Gilbert and Antonio were keeping an eye on him.

They turned back to me as I explained.

"First of all, I don't fear death. It's inevitable and best to embrace it instead. Fear keeps you safe, it makes you cautious it makes you humble and keeps you alive. To never feel pain means you can never feel the happiness of no pain at all. The things I do to stay safe, keep my mom reassured I'm okay and helps me sleep with ease."

"But if you didn't need to fear danger, because nothing will be dangerous."

"That world doesn't exist."

"It could."

"But it's not the one I live in. I'm a writer and a lot of my inspiration comes from experience and understanding, being able to relate to the reader or character and the more I travel, the more I do and learn and feel and see, the more complete I feel and the more I can do and think of doing."

"You're an odd girl, ___." Francis sighed in defeat.

"So I've been told."

"Keep in touch at least," Gilbert said with a sad smile.

"Of course."

Before I retired for the night, Francis, kissed the back of my hand before I settled in my room.

Downstairs unbeknownst to me, they were having a very serious conversation.

About what they thought was best for me in the world soon to fall apart.


	8. Chapter Seven | StabbedXCroatia

I got up at dawn.

I got my van, drove back to their house, said my goodbyes and left.

I got their phone numbers and since then there's been a group chat made for the four of us with thousands of messages in the last few weeks.

It's been weeks. It's crazy to think it's been so long, but really it hasn't been that long at all.

It's almost May now. The weather sucks depending on where you go, it's either humid or really chilly.

I'd written a few more chapters in my book. I was almost done with it, hard to believe it really. After all the time it'd taken, all the research I'd done, all the places that inspired me.

Maybe when I was done, I'd visit them.

I couldn't work when I was there but at least I was distracted from everything else. That inevitably one day I could crash, or go missing or end up in the hospital again. The fact I was all alone even surrounded by so many.

Italy had been great, so was Slovenia and Croatia. But I was circling back to Germany rather than stopping through the other counties nearby. There was a festival of sorts coming up but I wasn't gonna sit and wait for a month in the same country.

I almost wanted a sure-fire excuse to go back and stay but what would that even be?

'Hey I'm lonely, I'm back to mooch off you guys and block out your annoying orgies.' I can't just walk in and say that.

I wonder if that weird murderer had been caught.

I was in an empty lot. Suspicious I know, but there aren't so many places to park a van for free.

It was nightfall and I'd gotten everything ready for bed. I had all my shades closed and everything locked. My bed was made up, the trash taken out and I was in my hello kitty pajamas I've been wearing out since high school.

I was waiting for them to text back, they were probably busy with something. A girl likely, maybe a guy, you never know.

I was off in my own little world when I noticed my water jugs were super low and I'd completely forgotten.

In America walking to a convince store in pajamas is normal but not in Croatia. Not that I know of anyway.

My shirt was fine, just old but I changed into lose black pants and flip flops despite the chillier temperature.

I kept my phone in my hand and a box cutter in the opposite pocket.

Gilbert finally messaged back. He was eating a bucket of popcorn.

They were watching a movie together, sweet. No guests either, just them.

I missed them. It was weird to me that I bonded with them so quickly, they were friendly and inviting and a little mysterious. You could tell they were genuine when they'd wanted me to stay. They had a calming presence when they smiled. 

I unlocked my phone to answer them while I walked the block to the closest convenience store.

(Y/n): Jealous, have fun

Gil: You should come visit

(Y/n): it's only been a couple weeks

Francis: still in Croatia?

(Y/n): yep

Antonio: in bed by now I hope

(Y/n): nope getting some water

Gil: be careful dummy

(Y/n): no promises

Antonio: hopefully you'll find a good enough reason in your standards to drop by

(Y/n): sure, if I get hit by a car or something, lol

I looked around me making sure there weren't any cars. It'd be just my luck to get hit by a car after suggesting that could happen.

I trailed into the convenience store. They seemed surprised to see me. A customer so late at night.

I was clearly foreign and they flashed welcoming smiles. Must not get many visitors in the area.

As I checked out my water jugs the cashier warned me.

"Careful out there mam. We've got a weird gang in these parts, not safe for you." He said and dipped his head to me as I left.

I couldn't hold onto my phone buzzing in my pocket, or my safety box cutter in the other as I lugged the jugs down the street.

There weren't many cars on the road at this hour. I might be breaking a curfew actually, should probably have hurried but the jugs made it harder to move. If something happened I'd just hit them with a jug, probably hard to swing but harder to recover from if hit. Hopefully.

The boys must've started to worry as my phone started ringing.

It was Gil's custom ring tone. "Barbie girl". He hated it, Antonio thought it was hilarious.

I stopped for the cars passing through the unmarked road but one stopped instead.

"You okay miss?" The older woman asked.

"Yes, mam thank you," I assured her, relieved it wasn't someone dangerous.

"That young man there is he with you? He really ought to be helping." She said in her sweet old lady voice.

I turned around but the man was gone, he turned into the store I just passed.

The lady smiled and waved at me.

As she left I set the jugs down for a second and answered Gilbert's call.

"Dude what?"

"You didn't reply I was just checking on you." He said casually.

"I'm fine," I assured him, thankful for a concerned friend.

I hung up and looked at the sky, sighing.

Maybe I'll go back one day.

But not now. Not without some dire reason.

That's when I felt the pressure in my back and I turned around to see a man in a black hood pulling a knife out of my side.

What the f-

He ran away before I could retaliate.

I wasn't in pain, I didn't feel anything, I was just frozen in shock until my legs went weak.

The blood gushed out my back, ruining my favorite shirt, dammit.

I tried to apply pressure but it was a weird place on the back I couldn't reach well, let alone stop it from bleeding.

I needed to call someone, I needed help. But I had to focus on stopping the blood. I might have to rip off my shirt and use it to soak up the blood but I'd really rather not do that.

I was on my knees and I heard the same old puttering car engine of the old lady.

She rolled down her window, frantic.

"I knew it." She shouted at her husband in the passenger seat.

I looked up at her grateful for someone being there.

The man pulled out his phone and she rushed with her cane into the store beside me.

The manager ran out to me and helped put pressure on the wound.

"Why'd you circle around?" I asked the lady.

"He just seemed so suspicious." She croaked.

Her husband was struggling to hear the emergency operator and handed it to the manager that was trying to help me.

The manager looked confused and the old lady took over for him as he gave all the information to the operator.

I looked back at the stars I'd only wished to a moment ago.

This is a really shitty reason to get me to go back universe. I wanted a dire reason I didn't mean getting freaking stabbed.

I wasn't able to answer the messages my friends were sending until after I was at the hospital, face down on the bed. I wasn't supposed to move but I was really bored and hooked up to an IV.

(Y/n): hey guys

Gil: geez, there you are don't worry us

(Y/n): yeah sorry bout that, anyway mind if I drop by?

Francis: don't mind at all what changed your mind!?

(Y/n): I was violently stabbed

Antonio: lol

Gil: same

(Y/n): no really

Francis: sure, okay, we'll let you sleep now call us in the morning

(Y/n): ...

Gil: Night, stay safe

Antonio: love you girl!

"Are you texting your parents?" One of the nurses asked.

"Nope, just my friends and they don't believe me..." I sighed.

They were finishing the stitches and I was so exhausted from taking my insomnia medication I passed out despite a needle and thread being pulled through my body. I fell asleep to the dripping sound of the blood bag. Kind of a gross thing to be familiar with.

In the morning I was discharged from the hospital. My van had been towed and I had to walk for an hour to the place they were keeping it.

There were laws about unattended vehicles but after providing proof of what had happened that night they released it to me.

I changed out of the hospital gown they let me borrow and the black pants that had blood on them too, you just couldn't see it, into some fresh clothes.

I chose a long blue skirt and a white crop top.

I was wide awake now, no more drugs in the system but I still yawned a little. My back hurt like hell and I'd woken up in the middle of the night to someone taking a needle out of my arm. I'd jumped up and almost attacked them and this sudden movement made the needle go deeper and they had to hold a wet rag on the wound for some time and keep watch that night to make sure nothing worse happened. I had a way of accidentally making things worse. Just my luck really.

Be careful what you wish for is never an understatement. I can't stress that fact enough.

I FaceTimed my friends as I'd promised and they picked up right away.

Gilbert was eating strawberry ice cream, never saw him as a strawberry fan.

He grinned like a dork with his mouth full and Francis and Antonio waved.

Francis was still reading that prophecy book and Antonio eating a normal breakfast, some kind of German brand cereal.

"You stay safe like we told you?" Francis joked.

"No because I got f*cking stabbed." I said seriously and they started laughed.

I glared at them and sent them the photos from the hospital.

I saw their faces as they reacted to my proof and Gilbert choked on the spoon in his mouth.

"What the hell chica!?" Antonio exclaimed.

"Wait when you were texting us-"

"I was in a hospital bed being stitched up."

Their faces paled and I started laughing like a maniac as I declared "well there's one more fantastic memory."

"Why are you laughing!?" Gilbert asked.

"I have no idea." I could barely get out.

"This is serious."

"Yeah." Still laughing. My adrenaline makes me laugh like a villain when bad things happen. I often seem psychotic because of it.

They were silent for a long time, not really sure what to say.

"Europe is kind of small I should be at yall's place in no time." I said and hung up before they could yell at me to stay safe.

Not really my fault I got stabbed by a mysterious hooded figure.

I put in the location to the gps. About ten hours. Great.

I felt almost nervous to go back, was I excited or scared?

I'd never get my book done around them. What would I even do while there. All I did was eat, sleep and occasionally walk around town with them acting like body guards. Maybe they could at least help me change bandages, as gross as that is. 

They'd probably make some weird flirty comment about it though, they always found a way to do that.

Maybe what I liked so much was that someone had interest in me, the idea of it being possible to happen at any moment made my heart flutter and my mind overactive.

I wouldn't fall to prey to their charms, as much as I wanted to.

Their weeks were as normal as any college boys, I see no reason why anything will be different this time around.


	9. Chapter Eight | WelcomeXFriend

Things were very odd from the moment I walked in the door so I'll start there.

I was relieved to finally be back to a place that felt oddly like home.

Clearly they were happy as well because as I opened the door I heard loud pops of confetti blasters and nearly had a heart attack.

I clutched my chest and leaned against the door frame.

"Chica are you okay?" Antonio asked rushing to my side.

"Sudden loud noises," I breathed heavily, "not a fan."

"Me either remind me of the war." Gilbert said seriously.

I arched a brow "what War?" I asked.

Francis and Antonio looked at him with slight annoyance. Gilbert shifted awkwardly "oh you know...all of them?" He replied.

Francis rolled his eyes and I walked over to hug Gilbert who picked me up in a bear hug.

"Ow Gilbert careful, I got stabbed there." I scolded and he nearly dropped me.

"Ah- so sorry!" He stuttered.

I stretched my back again, the spot was too sore to rub and probably not a good idea to do so anyways.

"Can we see?" Francis asked worriedly.

I'm not one to show skin obviously but this was a stab wound not sexual in any manner so I lifted my shirt up just barely and Francis crouched down to inspect it.

His hand hovered over the stitched area as if he wanted to touch it, make it go away. He frowned remorsefully.

"Don't sweat it man, not the first time, probably not the last." I laughed and they only looked more worried. "This is unfortunately, conveniently, the same place I got slashed in my knife fight in Mexico so the scars aren't so spread out."

"Vhat the fuck is wrong with you?" Gilbert asked exasperatedly.

"IDK man it's just my luck."

"Stick with us and this will be the last time. We aren't letting you out of our sight Chica." Antonio said with a concentrated look at the wound Francis was still staring at.

"Come on guys it fine, it's just a stab wound. First time my brother got stabbed he was only like eleven."

"What's wrong with your family?" Antonio exclaimed.

"Vhere the hell did you grow up, the streets?" Gilbert asked.

"Nah, it was a pretty nice neighborhood. Granted one neighbor had a wall of guns, one had like seven daughters, one were drug dealers and the ones right beside us had demon sons and a witch for a mom."

"...okay then..." Antonio reacted in confusion, not expecting that answer.

"Well who the hell stabbed your brother?" Gilbert asked.

"Oh- his best friend." 

"What!?" The three said together.

"Yeah...had I been there his friend would be six feet under." I muttered. I was slightly entertained by their confusion and shock of my childhood story and that's not even the worst one.

"Guter Herr." Gilbert sighed.

I let go of my shirt and Francis seemed to be snapped out of whatever trance the stitches put him under.

"Has the man that did this to you been caught?" Francis asked.

"No."

"Good."

"Why is that good?"

"Because if zhe authorities 'ave 'im 'e won't get proper punishment, Croatia abolished capital punishment in 1990." Francis growled.

"Well that's vaguely threatening and a random thing for you to know." I said matter of factly.

Antonio and Gilbert exchanged knowing looks, both equally pissed at this guy.

"Calm down, at least he ran instead of killing me."

"You could've died." Antonio hissed.

"He could've died too had he stuck around, I'm not letting someone knife me and waltz off."

"That was vaguely threatening." Gilbert mocked.

"Oh shut it." I snapped jokingly and earned a playful smile on his part.

We were border line discussing murder and yet the atmosphere was playful and homey.

"I'm actually really glad to be here again." I smiled warmly and they looked touched.

Gilbert picked me up in his arms princess style being careful not to touch my wound and he smirked devilishly.

"Vell you're never leaving again." He grinned.

"Don't go yandere on me, I still don't know you all that well." I scolded.

"True, which is why is so bizarre you come right back to us." Francis pointed out.

I thought about that for a brief second.

"You're right, I don't know why really...it's almost unnatural."

I felt Gilbert tense as he held me, making our way up stairs to the guest room.

"You aren't secretly witches are you." I teased.

"Not witches no." Gilbert said under his breath and Francis smacked the back of his head lightly.

"Ow- I'm just kidding francy-pants, relax."

I couldn't help but laugh.

The three were like brothers and it was fun watching them interact. But what else was so much fun to keep me here? Was it the constant sexual tension, something that made me want to say yes but always refuse that made things so exciting? Or was it the mysterious supernatural element between them and the town. I had no way of knowing.

Gilbert set me down on the bed and shut the blinds, at first I thought he might be suggesting something but he smiled and told me "blinds shut, just how you like them."

I was touched he remembered. Granted I'd only been gone a few weeks but I'd also only stayed there for one week.

Antonio set down the luggage I'd brought inside with me, or at least half way inside, before I got scared by the confetti cannons.

It was already very late but I heard the doorbell ring as I finished unpacking my things.

Oh great more girls. That was my first thought anyways.

But I smelled the heavenly scent of pizza and I jumped off the bed and crashed downstairs.

Gilbert caught my waist with one arm, holding the pizza in the other as I nearly head butted the table.

"Ack- careful, du bist so zerbrechlich." He panicked.

"Oh I'm not that fragile." I sighed and Francis helped me stand up properly.

"At the very least you're wounded so maybe soft socks aren't the best thing to wear, especially not down a flight of stairs going eighty miles an hour." Francis advised.

"But they're cute." I pouted looking at my fluffy reindeer socks.

Antonio chuckled and Francis sighed in defeat.

Gilbert ruffled my hair and Francis tucked my bangs back behind my ear. Our eyes met and I didn't see lust I saw something else, almost like love? 

I ignored it and jumped onto the couches Gilbert finished pushing together.

"Ack-" he exclaimed moving out of my way.

Antonio belly flopped beside me laughing. His laugh was like an angel's blessing, so sweet and pure and adorable.

What was with me suddenly? These guys were my crazy, new friends. Suddenly I'm delusional, thinking they're cute or love me.

I distracted myself by taking the biggest bite I could manage from the biggest pizza slice.

"Scheiße, you could fit your whole fist in your mouth couldn't you?"

I nodded, covering my mouth with my hand to avoid looking disgusting while trying to chew up the oversized bite I'd taken.

"Vait, really? Show me." He said excitedly.

I nodded and after finishing my bite I shoved my fist in my mouth.

"That's hot." Antonio nonchalantly commented not looking away from his phone more than a second.

I blushed and wiped my hand off on the napkins.

Francis laughed at my reaction and Gilbert gave his trademark devilish smirk.

"Wonder what else you co-" Antonio slapped the back of Gilbert's head before he could finish that sentence. 

Francis and I laughed at him. Gilbert grumbled and looked at his friend looking away from him as if he were innocent.

Gilbert tried wrestling the phone away from him so I backed up as Francis pulled him off before a fight started.

"You guys are so much fun, honestly." I laughed.

It really was a lot of fun just watching them be themselves.

"Hey how did you guys meet anyway? Guess I never asked." I said.

They looked at eachother like trying to decide on an appropriate answer.

"During a big fight." Gilbert said after a few moments of silence.

"We were in Spain all at the same time by chance and got to be friends after this big bar fight." Francis said thoughtfully.

They were lying.

Why?

I nodded, pretending to agree. Antonio saw the doubt written all over my face.

"We'll tell you the full story another time, it's not something you'd get really. It involves our work too so some stuff we can't talk about." He said.

A more acceptable answer but still. Were they some government agents? 

As we finished the pizza they put on a movie.

The Bird Box. A great movie, highly suggest it, only rated R for the language and this one seen which you see coming so can easily block out as I always do. I've seen it a million times but it never gets old to me.

"You should stay inside like these people. The rest of the world is too dangerous." Antonio said.

"Well that's because of invisible creatures that make you commit suicide."

"Well not in your case, you're always getting robbed or stabbed or some shit that'll get you killed. So you should stay inside." Gilbert grumbled seriously.

"Ok, but you're not gonna like force me to stay inside...right?" I asked.

There was too long a silence and then Gilbert perked up like he only just heard you. 

"Of course we aren't- especially not tomorrow night." He said quickly.

"Oh great who's coming over." I say sarcastically.

"Oh merde! I forgot she can't be in the house then." Francis exclaimed and Antonio nodded wide eyed.

"Well what do we do with her?"

"You're talking about me like I'm a captive." I said with annoyance.

They apologized and looked to you.

"Umm...we have a friend you can stay with tomorrow night, that okay?" Antonio asked.

"What if your friend gets robbed." I joked but they took it seriously.

"She'll have to stay in her room. We can tell them beforehand."

"Good god, who?" I exclaimed a bit angrily.

"Some friends from work are coming over to discuss a few things you can't hear about." Gilbert admitted.

"Why can't I hear about it?"

"Well...you can. But if they knew, you'd be in danger." Antonio warned.

I sighed.

"So secretive."

"We're really sorry. But you can stay in your room instead, but that might be riskier than having you stay with a friend...." Francis contemplated.

"But at least we'd be here." Gilbert pointed out and Francis sighed.

"Can we not talk about whatever you won't talk to me about and just watch the movie." I sighed in defeat.

Each time I feel I'm getting close to them, I suddenly learn there's even more I don't know.


	10. Chapter Nine | ArthurXTrouble

It was nearing nightfall again.

Yesterday hadn't ended in the best way.

I'd nearly forgotten what it felt like being left out when it came to them, but they still weren't telling me things and it was a bit of a sore spot to me.

One thing that always made me distance myself from friends in the past was feeling left out. Not knowing what they were talking about to each other right in front of me and not letting me in on it.

I'd have to insist they tell me but just thinking about it I can see their horrified faces, like they're too scared to tell me. It can't honestly be that bad. They aren't terrorists, right? Oh god, am I rooming with terrorists?

I snapped out of my thoughts after realized I'd been holding down the R key on my laptop. I was trying to type to distract myself. Distracting myself with food only got me fat in the past and each time I tried losing it became harder to get motivated to do so. So that's not a road I'd like to go back down.

I'd like to sleep this off but I have the feeling I should be awake, but I also feel like staying awake will make me sad and annoyed that I can't hear what they're saying. Especially if they all laugh, I hate not knowing what people are laughing about. It drove my family crazy, hearing me shout 'what's so funny' whenever they laughed at anything. Usually, it was from something on tv.

The sunset was beautiful, pink streaks across the sky just outside my window. I'd opened the blinds an hour ago to see if I could watch their coworkers arrive.

Gilbert knocked on my door before entering, he was holding something behind his back.

"Whatcha got there Gil?" I asked.

He presented to me a single tulip.

"Thought I'd get you a sorry for the inconvenience gift." He said sheepishly.

I took the tulip from him and put it in the vase already in my room.

"I'm the one being inconvenient by staying here."

"Don't say that Frau. We love having you here and we'd like you to stay as long as you can, it's just..."

"Work."

"Vight...I wish I could tell you." He said sadly.

I frowned and rubbed his back.

"I promise I'll tell you one day. We all will. Then we can all be like family, no secrets between us." He said smiling towards the end.

I nodded and he tilted my chin up to meet his eyes. He planted a chaste kiss on my forehead and left the room.

My cheeks flushed dark red.

"Chica, you look like a tomato, what is the matter?" Antonio asked, ruffling my hair as he passed by my room.

"Tomato?"

"Si, just like a cousin I have, it's very adorable." He grinned and I laughed it off.

"Nothing's the matter, just a little nervous."

"About tonight? No worries. You're safe here, we promise."

"Should I just sleep through it, I don't feel like I can, it's making me kind of anxious."

"So you need any of your pills?" He asked standing up in case he needed to fetch them.

"No, I'll be fine, besides I only take the anxiety ones with my sleeping ones because they only make me more anxious for the first hour or so."

"That seems counterintuitive." He states and I nod.

"Yeah well lots of pills are like that, pills for depression make you gain weight then you have something else to worry about, etcetera," I explained.

He too kissed my forehead before leaving and smiled as he shut the door.

Francis checked of me on his way down the stairs to let me know they ordered pizza for me and it should be there soon.

I thanked him and looked on Netflix for something to watch but I'd already seen all the interesting things.

Maybe I'd rewatch a Marvel movie, or a Parks and Rec episode, they always cheered me up.

The sky was dark now, it'd happened in an instant.

I'd been distracted watching the movie to remember to look outside for the arriving coworkers they spoke of.

When I pulled my earphones out for a moment I could hear chatter downstairs already.

I had an 'oh shit' moment when I realized things had already begun.

I hadn't even gotten half an hour into Captain Marvel and now I'd have to stop so I could snoop on these people.

A plastic cup to the ground didn't work, neither did holding it to the door. My childhood cartoons had failed me. I sighed in annoyance and a little bit because I was hungry.

I heard the doorbell ring, surely that'll be him.

I peaked out the window and looked at the front door. Sure enough, it was the pizza guy.

"Yes," I whispered to myself excitedly.

I walked to the bedroom door and opened it a crack waiting for the pizza, letting the heavenly scent waft in.

"You brought us a snack, how kind." A British voice sounded.

"No the pizza is for (y/n)."

"Your Pet?" Another man asked, his voice was deeper, Turkish maybe.

"I didn't mean the pizza." The British man snickered.

"No, no, no, no, no, no." Antonio scolded quickly. I heard him rush to the door and close it behind him.

"(Y/n), isn't our pet she's our friend." Francis said angrily.

"But she's not one of you." A lazy voice sounded, Greek possibly.

"She will be," Gilbert growled.

"Is that official?" The British man asked.

"Not yet, let's stop discussing this, she isn't the reason you're here." Francis scolded.

Why the hell were they talking about me?

One of them? I was both nervous and excited. Did I join some supernatural cult, wouldn't that be cool? That was unlikely though, how cool would it be to get turned into a werewolf or vampire or something.

I heard the stairs creak and slithered into bed silently, putting my earphones back in.

Antonio walked in with the pizza, grinning.

I smiled back at him and took out my earbuds.

"Yes, my pizza," I said a bit too loudly in a muppet voice, if that makes sense.

Antonio laughed "I didn't know you could make such odd voices."

"I can do a lot of things you don't know about." I teased.

"I'm sure you can." He smiled and closed the door behind him hurrying back downstairs.

After four slices of pizza and another half hour of the movie, I had the urge to open my window and let in a cool breeze.

I heard two people outside the window downstairs by the front door immediately stop talking.

They looked up at me and I had the feeling I screwed up.

Neither one of them was a part of the trio and their menacing grins unnerved me. I slammed the window shut and turned around to see Antonio.

"Oh my god, merde sainte, Antonio. Décidément!" I gasped.

"Lo-lo siento." He said nervously.

"What's wrong."

"You weren't supposed to interact with them."

"I didn't know they were gonna be outside."

"It wasn't on purpose?"

"Claro que no, Antonio-Oh hey that rhymed."

"Dios mío." He sighed.

"How would you even know?"

"I heard the window open."

"...from downstairs?"

"I was on my way up to check on you." He explained nervously.

I raised one brow in suspicion.

From downstairs Francis nervously shouted, "Arthur wants to meet her!"

Antonio stiffened.

Arthur.

Arthur, I heard that name.

On the phone discussion, Francis had after we found the crime scene in the forest.

What kind of people are they associated with?

Antonio quickly started straightening out my clothes and brushing my hair with his fingers like I was going to a job interview.

"Toni, calm down. Por favor." I snapped and he stopped abruptly.

Gilbert opening my door to check on us.

He looked pissed.

"I'm sorry Gil, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine. Ve'll Speak for you. Arthur is a sadist don't mind vhat he says. He likes acting suspicious to scare people." He said in a stern voice.

I nodded.

I'm the same way honestly.

"Well I guess we have that in common-" I laughed nervously.

"You have nothing in common." Antonio snapped like he was mad I'd suggest such a thing.

"Geez don't get so mad, you guys aren't acting normal." I hissed.

Gilbert pushed past me downstairs and Antonio wrapped his arm around me and followed after him, more slowly than Gilbert had.

A multitude of people stood around the small circular table all looking at me intensely.

Well, that's not weird at all.

Did I just join a cult?

"Hello," I said without stuttering, straight to the point, act confident and peaceful. Never show them fear, never let them know you're a threat.

Gilbert shot me a look and I remembered he'd asked I didn't speak.

"Brave little thing she is." British man smirked. He had scruffy blonde hair, fair skin, and green eyes. I'd never been so attracted to a Brit. He was dressed like he was going to a royal wedding.

He was the only one sitting, legs crossed an arm on the table, a pose meant to intimidate and show he was the boss of them.

Though from what I remember his apprentice, Alfred I think it was, had usurped him.

"Everyone this is _____," Francis said gesturing to me gracefully, with a pain-stricken look on his face.

Gilbert snarled when Arthur got up to shake my hand and everyone gave him a look. The Turkish man standing behind Gilbert had a firm grip on his shoulder to restrain him.

What the hell.

Is this a cult.

Seriously?

"Sweet, little, ____. I am Arthur Kirkland of England." He introduced himself and bowed over my hand, kissing the knuckles.

Francis glared daggers and Antonio's gripped tightened around me.

"These are my associates, Joan of the Czech Republic, Sadik of Turkey, Heracles of Greece, Elizabetta of Hungary, Roderick of Austria, Mathias of Denmark and Kiku of Japan."

I nodded, not sure how I was supposed to respond.

"Did you tell her not to speak?" Elizabetta asked Gilbert.

He nodded.

"Goodness, she's safer with us than the three of you." She hummed and bear hugged me.

Gilbert nor Antonio took action against her. They must trust her.

She was much stronger than she looked.

"Elizabetta you'll kill the poor girl." Joan lightly scolded.

Elizabetta let go immediately and panicked.

"Goodness, nem akartam, are you okay?" She said flustered.

Antonio helped me stand and I nodded sort of dazed.

I swear my life flashed before my eyes.

The three worked with some incredible people.

Incredibly strange that is.

But things were about to get stranger.


	11. Chapter 10 | WorkXOffer

"How would you like to join us ____?" Arthur purred.

As the words left his mouth Gilbert, Antonio and Francis looked terrified.

Francis slammed his hands down on the table and barked "she will not!" in Arthur's face.

Arthur continued to act smug not even flinching at Francis's out roar.

"But you would ask her eventually, no?" He said, arching a grow. Gilbert looked pissed as hell and Sadik was more noticeably holding him back.

Gilbert escaped his grip and ducked past everyone to stand in front of me. Antonio left my side to face Arthur and Gilbert embraced me.

He was shaking.

Why?

I hugged him back and patted his back.

Something was going on and it was blatantly suspicious but it wasn't for me to interfere with, clearly, my new friends were in favor of keeping me far away from their business.

Their supposed investment company.

Investment in what.

"We could use an intern at the North Dakota location." He said, tapping his fingers on the table.

He looked into my eyes. His were devilish but alluring. He and his British accent and fancy attire wasn't even the most alluring one.

In the back was a sleepy looking man, the Greek One, Heracles. His hair looked tangled but it was silky smooth and chin length. He was on the paler side and his eyes were like magnets drawing me in.

I didn't want to be alone with that man.

I didn't feel any danger.

But somehow I feel I'd lose control of an impulse I've never felt.

Gilbert looked me in the eye, inches apart from me, still acting like a shield and snapped me out of my daze.

"Does she even seem like the kind of person we want?" Joan asked Arthur.

Arthur nodded and looked me up and down.

He noticed a scar on my upper arm. "Where is that scar from, may I ask."

I was kind of fed up at this point so instead, I snapped back "no you may not."

Elizabetta covered her mouth to hide a laugh and Joan looked surprised and amused.

The Danish man, Mathias was hollering in laughter.

"Ahahahahaha, man Arthur she doesn't take your bull." The Turkish man laughed.

Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis looked equally surprised as they were entertained.

"Pardon?"

"I think you heard me just fine."

"What's the sudden change in attitude?" He said, annoyance in his voice and evident on his face.

"My friends don't like your questions and I think it's rude you're persisting to interrogate me on matters that don't involve you especially scars from my past," I said as authoritatively as I could, standing with my back as straight as a board.

His eye twitched and his smile turned into one of annoyance.

Gilbert smirked at him and he almost lost it, he tensed up, balled his fists but quickly hid this and pretended to calm down, straightening his suit and sighing. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at me with curiosity.

"I don't doubt we'll meet again," he started, "I think your three friends will eventually let you invest in our business." his eyes flicked to the three men standing around me.

"We should finish our discussion. We don't have use of her yet." He huffed.

Use of me.

What the hell man.

If I didn't think you might knife me I'd slap you. But at least he wasn't looking so smug anymore.

Only dumb blondes in the movies ignore this weird crap but I don't feel as though my life is in danger, not with Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio. But these three are equally as   
weird as the rest just in their own special disturbing ways I'll never really understand.

Yesterday had ended as strangely and quickly as it had begun. Francis had ushered me back upstairs and after they left as I was drifting off to sleep I could feel the bed sink on either side if me and felt them lying next to me.

Maybe a little creepy, yes. But I understand they were only worried. They really cared about me and I'm not even sure exactly why.

We just met, we're so different, what am I to them.

Why am I anything at all to them?

In the same way, Bella Swan ignored the fact Edward would watch her sleep I also drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up yesterday's memory was a bit of a blur.

I ate breakfast and they didn't approach the subject of last night.

Francis was reading the newspaper with his reading glasses like an old man. Antonio was engrossed in a book not paying attention to his cereal and Gilbert was stuffing his face letting milk slip out of his mouth as he played a game on his phone with the other hand.

I ate Frosted Flakes like a starving animal and Francis glanced up from his newspaper for a brief moment.

We locked eyes and I covered my stuffed mouth trying not to let milk spill out in the same way Gilbert was.

"You two are so alike," Antonio commented looking between Gilbert and me.

Gilbert and I locked eyes and tried not to snort out milk at how ridiculous we looked.

"Great minds think alike I've always been told." I chuckled.

Gilbert nodded enthusiastically.

"What could both of you possibly think of similarly?"

"I don't know, sex?"

"No-no, that's not it, I can assure you." I blurted out quickly and Gilbert laughed while Francis gave an amused smile and Antonio rubbed circles on my back.

I sunk into the loving touch of Antonio and sighed peacefully.

"So- about that weird Arthur guy-"

Gilbert did a spit take with his cereal.

"You-you remember him?" He asked like I was that forgetful.

"Mein Gott, my memory isn't that bad." I scolded.

Gilbert wiped the milk off his mouth with his hoodie sleeve and Francis removed his glasses quickly while Antonio's rubbing stopped abruptly.

"Ye-yes we had just hoped..." Francis trailed off in confusion.

"It's kind of a blur but he was even more suspicious than you guys." I nonchalantly hummed.

They recovered from their shock.

"How bad do you think my memory is?"

"It was just pretty late is all and you were exhausted," Antonio recalled.

"Not late enough to forget Mr stick up his ass."

Francis laughed louder than I'd ever heard and took a minute to recover wiping away actual tears from his eyes.

It wasn't that funny, I'd thought. But oh well I liked getting a positive reaction to my wit.

Antonio patted Francis on the back.

"If-if he could hear you-" he gasped in-between laughs.

"Does he hate him?" I asked Gilbert and he and Antonio nodded.

"With a raging passion incomparable to even the fires of hell," Antonio said with a blank stare.

"My god, that bad?"

"You have no idea, Chica."

"Then why'd you let him into your house?"

"Kind of had to, he's a big deal in our work."

"Right, your investment..." I trailed off suspicion in my tone evident.

"Yeah, you'll get to see what we're building some day." Francis smiled and Gilbert looked a little nervous.

"Where will this building be?"

"We were gonna have it in North Dakota but Qatar has the least natural disasters and seemed like a safer option." Francis elaborated.

"Cool, I've been to Qatar, a nice place for the most part. Did get knives but it was okay." I said so casually you wouldn't have realized the last part of what I said had you not been paying attention.

They gave me wide-eyed expressions but honestly, they should be used to it by now, I was gone like a week and I came back with a stab wound.

"Don't worry, it wasn't deep, I dodged it mostly." I tried to calm them but they looked curiously at each other.

"What's the worst wound you've ever gotten?" Gilbert hesitated to ask.

"Well there was that time with the train-" I said slowly thinking about it, counting off accidents on my finger.

"My god woman how the hell are you alive?" Gilbert was flabbergasted.

"Oh it wasn't that serious, the weight of the train sealed the wound up actually so I didn't really bleed that much."

"The hell, Frau."

"Oh you'll get used to these stories, I find them amusing."

"We find them deeply concerning." Antonio sighed.

"You and most people but they make for interesting conversation."

"Not with a doctor I can only imagine." Francis chimed in.

"Yeah man, you should see their faces when I do so much as list my meds."

"Yeah what are all of them for if not too personal to ask?"

"Oh geez, what am I not taking crap for?" I was deep in thoughts again counting off my fingers.

"Okay so there's mood, attention, sleep, energy, supplements, anxiety, panic attacks, trauma-"

I think it went on a good few minutes, and their faces only grew more concerned.

"Maybe we'll invite you to our company sooner than we thought, it might help your mental health." Francis shook his head.

"Nah man it's all good."

"It doesn't sound good, I think you're trying to oaky this off and ignore the real issue." Antonio imparted.

"Which would be?"

"Your attract so much trouble you're dangerously used to it." Gilbert interrupted.

"It's not that dangerous when you know how to handle it."

"Enlighten me."

"Archery could be dangerous if not done properly but a skilled archer is safe and a pro. The ocean is dangerous if you don't know how to swim, but if you do then you'll stay above the water where it's safest."

"Then let me use the ocean as an example. You might keep your head above water, you might stay safe, feel safe but beneath you are sharks swimming around waiting for their chance." Francis warned.

"That happened to me once you just have to hit them in the eyes-"

"Not the fucking point-" he growled.

"Don't forget the dolphins then, they're known to save people from the sharks and that's what cops and firefighters and doctors are for."

Francis sat down in defeat.

"I just want you to be careful." He said and held my hand in his with a concerned look in his eyes. He no longer met my gaze.

All I wanted was to discuss last night but it seemed each time I spoke I brought up something that concerned them deeply.

"Well I got shot once," Gilbert announced to break the silence.

We all looked at him confused and slightly agitated.

"What?" I asked.

"Yup, I don't know how you could be so casual about it shrapnel hurt like hell." He joked.

"Gilbert, shrapnel is from grenades," I reminded him.

"I never said I got shot with a bullet." He said and there was a brief moment of confused silence.

"How the what are you alive?" I asked in disbelief.

"Get our point?" Francis asked.

"I'm amused I don't see how you can't be," I told him, he facepalmed gently and Francis hid an amused grin.

"Because we know we'll be fine but we don't know that about you." Gilbert chided.

"I know I'll be fine," I assured.

"You're right."Francis agreed for once.

We looked at him.

"Because we'd sooner die than let harm come to you."


	12. Chapter Eleven | FightXApologize

"Well, I guess I could say the same," I added.

"We won't let you get hurt for us."

"I get hurt for people all the time, I wholeheartedly believe I was put on this earth to help it, to change it, to share who I am with it. The people that come into my life will remain in it if I have anything to say about it." I exclaimed.

"____, just listen!" Francis stormed.

I shrunk into my seat feeling a little afraid.

He had an energy to him, I hadn't felt it before, he was lethally dangerous. I knew that I think I'd always known that a little. That lethal energy wasn't focused on me I knew that too, but it wasn't any less terrifying.

"Francis-" Gilbert exclaimed.

"___ we're sorry he isn't usually like this-" Antonio tried to sooth.

Without thinking I threw the empty cereal box at Francis.

I stood up abruptly challenging him with a fiery look.

The look in his eyes could've intimidated demons but I was too stubborn for my own good and I'm sure he knew that.

The cereal box hit his chest with a small smack and he remained unmoved.

"No you listen to me- I'm fine, don't helicopter me or I'll leave, I like you guys slot but I won't tolerate being treated like a child!" I hollered.

Antonio and Gilbert walked to either side of Francis worried about how he may respond now but he didn't.

He stormed up the stairs and the bedroom door slammed shut with the force of a freight truck barreling down hill.

I flinched at the loud sound and shook my head.

Antonio ran after him and Gilbert hugged me to his chest but I pushed him away and stormed out the front door.

I didn't take the van, I'd probably drive recklessly.

I fumed as I sped walked down the street.

A car passed but neither passenger paid mind to me.

My footsteps were rather loud, which took effort on a gravel road.

Birds were chirping peacefully but all I heard was the front door open and slam shut moments after me.

I heard Gilbert run up to my side.

For his fast speed, he wasn't breathless, a quick sprint was effortless for him.

He walked next to me in silence respecting my fury.

He trailed very closely behind watching me nervously.

"Are you going to leave..." he hesitated to ask to worried to hear my answer.

"Not if Francis apologizes for being an ass." I hissed.

Against his better judgment he agreed with Francis, "he's just worried-"

"Too worried, god I don't even know you that well and you're so suspicious I must be some horror movie cliché that goes to the dangerous noises. I should have a million red flags going off with you three but I still trust you and I must be bad shit crazy for it I swear." I ranted.

"We've never had someone in our lives we cared about other than is three," he elaborated.

I stopped my rambling to hear him out.

"We've been together for years...each of us, we all had pretty hard childhoods and anyone we get close too...well, we try not to get close to people because we're so used to losing them."

"Why do you lose so many people in your life then?" I asked, anger still present in my voice but much quieter now.

"I don't have any family anymore."

I stopped in my tracks and turned around- sympathy in my eyes.

His seemed to sparkle a little, they were mournful. 

"I have a younger brother but he's adopted and lives a little further away with his biological brothers," He continued.

"My dad, he abused my mom and he abused me too, my mom shot him dead and then she shot herself..."

"Gil you don't need to tell me if it's too painful-" I started.

He shook his head and continued, "I was still little, I was crying for days and finally someone came to check up on us. I was questioned and then sent to a foster home. The boys were nice and we got along great and then intruders shot them all dead but I survived because I covered myself in their blood-"

"My god, why aren't you insane?" Was all I could manage.

"I enlisted in the army, stupid idea if I didn't want to lose anyone but I was sent to the front lines and I couldn't handle what I saw, I couldn't handle what I was made to do. I just wanted to fight for the greater good but it didn't feel like the greater good, not after you see men who only wanted to help their countries in the same way I did." He trailed off.

He seemed weak at the knees and my empathic side could feel sadness radiating off him, pain and regret.

I embraced him and he accepted my hug, squeezing me.

We walked in silence, I still wasn't going back to the house.

I went to sit in a coffee house. I didn't even like coffee it was just a nice atmosphere.

Gilbert got as much attention as you'd expect.

I swear the barista was giving me a jealous look.

Gilbert ordered a coffee and I decided to get a plain bagel.

"Not even cream cheese." He asked after a while.

All they did was take it straight from the bag and hand it to me. Not toasted, not covered in anything, just plain as it was made.

"I like simple foods." Was all I said.

He nodded and sipped his coffee.

His phone beeped and I saw the message was from Antonio.

Toni: Calmed him down but he isn't talking

Gilbert quickly responded but I couldn't see what he texted I just heard the quick taps of the keys.

He set his phone back down but Antonio immediately responded.

Toni: how is she? Is she okay?

"Maybe I should just text him instead." I offered but I felt for my phone and realized I'd left it at the house. I wasn't used to going anywhere without my phone.

Gilbert handed me his phone when I gave him a look that could be summed up as 'whoops'

Gil: Toni it's ___

Toni: are you okay, you really scared us

Gil: please don't start

Toni: Chica, I know dbtl pancake

Gil: what?

Toni: it's Francis speaking

Gil: ...

Toni: I didn't mean to yell at you I'm sorry

Toni: can I make it up to you?

Gil: can we go out for pizza tonight, your treat

Toni: of course

Gil: Then Okay

Toni: ;)

Gilbert looked through the text messages and sighed in relief.

I handed him my bagel, "don't want to overeat."

"You've had cereal today and that's all and you're making room for tonight?"

"I'm on a diet."

"You have more muscle than Officer Shneck and you're worried about your weight?"

"I have a bad habit of regaining my weight," I informed.

"Once lost thirty pounds in six months and gained it all back in two."

"How the fuck much were you eating?"

"Enough, apparently."

"So it only takes pizza to apologize properly."

"Forget the words 'I love you' tell me 'I'll get food' and that's how you win me."

"I'll buy you a buffet if we get to make out."

"There is now an acceptation to my rule of food."

Gilbert snorted.

The café doors opened and I turned around at the little bell.

I swear there was a sound of loving sighs as Francis and Antonio walked in.

Antonio and his hands in his pocket and Francis wore a serious expression and met my gaze.

I turned around still a little pissed.

They pulled up chairs next to Gil and I and we sat in silence as Gilbert munched on the plain bagel.

"You just had breakfast," Antonio commented.

Gilbert with a stuffed face responded, "fu you, I 'ant fooh."

I can only assume he was trying to say 'screw you, I want food' but I could be wrong.

I'm multilingual but that doesn't mean I speak fluent stuffed mouth.

Francis' brow furrowed and he glared at Gilbert who was being very uncouth.

He wiped the crumbs off his mouth and stifled a laugh, Antonio hid a smile behind his red sweater sleeve and Francis rolled his eyes.

"Uncouth." He muttered.

"Fancy word." I mocked in the same tone getting a humored reaction from Gilbert and Antonio again while Francis ruffled my hair, rolling his eyes.

It felt natural again.

It felt safe again.

Should it?


	13. Chapter Twelve | WaterXIncident

Bobbing my head to Hamilton music, 'nonstop' to be exact, I continued working on my story. Thank god for Grammarly- really helpful.

Hamilton and I had something in common, our passion for writing so a song where it's sung about is motivating for me.

I stretched my arms, my palms were getting cold from typing, A.M. I the only one with this problem.

Francis had come by to check on me, bringing me a glass of water asking how the story was coming along, to counter I asked how his vampire book was going. He insisted it's called vampri and I told him I was only teasing and he sighed.

He seems to sigh a lot when it comes to putting up with his friends and me.

I decided to take a break, Francis was in the study, Gilbert was who knows where and Antonio was outside in the garden.

I opened the screen door and stepped outside, it wasn't that bad outside. It was warmer than it had been earlier at least.

He was hosing the plants.

"Is it bad to jet stream the plants?" I asked hoping I'd have startled him. He turned around casually with a bright smile, unalarmed with my sudden appearance.

He nearly sprayed me with the hose but I dodged in time.

"Good reflexes." He laughed. "And I'm not jet streaming them if you're asking if you can that'd be a no." He joked in a stern voice.

I laughed lightheartedly.

I sat on the metal chair and watched him work.

He glanced at me time to time before asking why I'd come to see him.

"Just thought I'd feel productive."

"But Chica you're sitting in a chair doing nothing at all."

I blushed and glowered teasingly.

"I don't know how to garden that well," I admitted.

He smiled and walked over to me, he took off his dirty gardening glove and held it out asking for mine.

I took his hand and he pulled me out of the chair and lead me through their massive backyard.

"Help me plant these then." He smiled and offered me the glove.

"I don't mind getting my hands dirty." I declined.

"What about your clothes, don't want dirt stains on your expensive jeans."

"Expensive, please. These aren't pre-ripped and I'm pretty sure they should be in police evidence."

"Putting that aside for now- this is one of the last weeks to sow carrots."

"I've heard of your tomatoes but you grow other stuff too."

"Si! Parsnips, cabbage, pumpkin, most things really, tomatoes are always best." He insisted.

"I wouldn't know I don't really eat vegeta-" I stopped talking when I noticed his ghost white completion of horror.

"B-but why?"

"I don't really feel like eating leaves..."

"They aren't just leaves? debe haber- there must be something you eat?"

"Umm...corn."

"Okay."

"But only in the can." He feigned a faint and sprawled out on his back.

"Toni get up- not everyone has the same opinions on food." I shook him by his shoulders and he shielded his eyes from the sun.

"The angels have come to take me." He mumbled.

"Toni."

"Oh, it's just you Chica."

"Okay, you know what..." I got up and walked away from him.

I grabbed the hose and turned the faucet.

I pointed the hose upwards and let it rain onto Antonio who bolted up.

"What the- no-chica que haces?" He shouted in surprise.

I laughed harder than I should have, my laughs were always a bit loud and exaggerated apparently some people found them pretty annoying but whatever- can't help it.

He stood up and pulled off his soaking wet shirt now a bit muddy.

"Not over the plants at least." He begged.

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine but you can't leave the hose or I'll come after you." I threatened.

He smiled and laughed, "come catch me then."

I growled jokingly and sprinted after him away from the gardens.

I'm sure our laughter sounded like screaming playing children not two adults chasing each other around with a hose.

Toni ran from the side of the house with- a water gun?

"What grown man has a water gun?"

"Have you ever met a grown man? All of them!" He teased and started spraying at me.

"Gah- no!" I screamed.

Gilbert opened the back door quickly afraid I was hurt.

"Oh there you are Gil, I was looking for you." still nonchalantly spraying Antonio in the face while I got hit in mine.

"She's fine Francis they're just playing with water guns!" he shouted back into the house.

I swear I heard Francis from the study excitedly ask about Water guns and the grown elegant man who'd been sighing at our childish behavior all day came running outside without his sweater and ran to the side of the house for another water gun.

"What? Two against one, no fair." I gulped.

"No worries my Frau-" Gilbert jumped in ripping off his shirt, "Ich halte dir den Rücken frei!" He declared.

I didn't need a gun show today but that's what I got as we ran around to the front of the yard away from Toni's valuable vegetables and squealed like children.

My hose was out of purpose so I had to make cover and get a water gun by the trash bins.

Oddly enough it seemed the only trash they had was from me, did they reuse everything?

Whatever.

I filled up the water gun to the brim and soon the war was back in action.

I was good with a real gun but water guns weren't precise and of little real use.

Gilbert had the best looking Water gun, probably called a super-blaster or something else super cliché for that kind of toy.

We got a few strange looks from moms and their kids walking by as they stared curiously at four adults playing like children.

Water guns didn't have to be for kids and who made the rule adults had to always act grown up. It was a month from Summer and we weren't in school, we could do what we want when we weren't at work so to hell with it, I wanna play with water guns.

I slipped in the mud a few times and wished I wasn't so modest bound, otherwise I'd take off my shirt and feel less sticky and wet. We were in Europe it wouldn't be anything the continent hadn't already seen on a daily basis.

We ran out back again and the carrot seeds were scattered and the holes dug for gardening was in the back of Toni's mind until the sky turned pink as the sun set.

"Dammit my carrots." He cursed.

"Vhat?" Gilbert asked and Francis shrugged.

We trudged through the muddy lawn but I misplaced my foot and slipped, barely avoiding a concussion on the concrete.

"Ack-" I exclaimed and grabbed the closest thing to me on the way down.

Gilbert's pants....

I let myself fall instead when I realized what I'd done and he helped me up a mischievous grin plastered across his face.

"Verdammt ___ if I knew you wanted to get into my pants that badly I'd've taken them off myself."

"Gil!" I scolded and threw the empty water gun at his face.

He rubbed his forehead and mumbled as he lead me inside.

Soaking wet and dripping on the floor Gilbert lead me upstairs to make sure I didn't slip down them.

I dried off with a fluffy towel and quickly changed clothes as they showered- individually I hoped, but they were pretty intimate with eachother I doubt they showered separately when it was more convenient at once.

They really were family like Gil had said. But I couldn't really tell if it was like brothers or lovers. Where did I fit into that?

I exited the bedroom bath and tucked my towel around me as I looked in my wardrobe for clothes.

I shut the curtains for privacy's sake and double checked my door was locked.

After I got changed and ran downstairs, Francis was twirling the car keys around his finger ready to go.

"Gilbert is in his room getting something, mind getting 'im?" Francis asked politely and I nodded. I passed Antonio on my way back up the stairs and approached the cracked open door of Gilbert's bedroom. But it was mostly my mistake to open it regardless without knocking first. 

As if pulling his pants down and running around him shirtless all day wasn't enough embarrassment I had to walk in on him butt naked.


	14. Chapter Thirteen | PizzaXHeidi

Gilbert wasn't embarrassed so much as he was shocked and afraid I'd be pissed.

I stumbled back trying to block the image as much as I felt the urge not to.

I'd seen everything- well, almost everything. What did see was the 'main attraction', were dicks usually that size?

I'd only ever seen them in pictures I didn't want sent to me, I stopped myself from gagging at the old memories and Gilbert's door shut before he rushed back out in inhuman speed to check on me.

He was careful not to grab me on the ground afraid I was in shock or something. Too afraid to make any quips he called to Antonio.

"Toni-problem." He called downstairs.

"What did you do now?"

"Vhat-!? Nothing this time, geez." He snapped back.

He let me stay in a ball against the wall in front of his door and met Antonio halfway down the stairs to whisper what'd happened.

Most girls wouldn't find this a big deal if anything it'd be fuel for wet dreams but I was trying not to think about it because if I thought about them...then I don't know what.

Was I grossed out, I can't tell?

"Tio joder?" Antonio cursed in surprise.

"Is everything okay?" Francis asked from the living room by the door.

"Not sure," Gilbert answered honestly making his way downstairs to tell him.

"Gil, really!? There's a girl in the 'ouse shut zhe door!" Francis scolded in concern.

Gil shuffled from foot to foot awkwardly waiting for my backlash of sorts.

Antonio helped me to my feet and Gilbert waited in the back seat of the car as I came downstairs.

There was silence.

Not even a 'you okay'.

Just the award acknowledgment that for the first time a woman had seen one them naked that not only didn't want to but was slightly scared of.

I sat shotgun with Toni and Gilbert in the back and Francis at the wheel.

The drive was slow and weird.

Like this morning we weren't talking again, today is just a bad day it seemed.

"So where are we getting pizza?"

"Pizzaspiel!" Gilbert exclaimed like a child in hope.

"What!? No!" Francis shouted.

Five minutes later we arrived at Pizzaspiel, Francis had his head on the steering wheel in utter defeat while Gilbert and I chanted like children.

So Pizzaspiel was like chuck-e-cheese and I hadn't been to one of those since before I was a preteen so excitement ensued.

Gilbert and I were magnets to each other, both free spirits and fun-loving we couldn't help but stick by each other's side but the awkward tension was acting like a barrier between us now.

"les enfants, s'il vous plaît." Francis begged for us to calm down and not act like children but we were in the mood for distraction for sure. Repressed childhood seemed like a way out.

Francis had his head on the table, refusing to have his face seen at a family establishment with screaming children.

"Serious American atmosphere here didn't expect it in Germany." I chimed cheerfully.

"I'm pretty sure an American started it actually," Antonio informed looking around.

"That explains the childish chaos," Francis grumbled.

"Hey, childish chaos liberated your country." I snapped.

"Oui, I remember." He sighed barely lifting his head off the table.

"You remember it?"

"Huh? Non-learning it, I remember learning it."

"I know what you meant, I'm just teasing, you might be nearing thirty but you're not that old." I laughed.

He laughed awkwardly and put his head back on the table.

"Fag?" I heard a waitress in bunny ears ask.

Bunny ears? Oh, that's where the family part comes in- kids think it's cute the dads stuck here think it hot. This was definitely started by an American.

The three looked up in surprise but Francis hid behind his hands in embarrassment.

"Your new arm candy got a kid?" She asked in her sassy German accent.

"I'm not his arm candy," I muttered and she didn't even look my way.

Faking her innocent smile she swayed her hips more exaggeratedly as she walked away.

"Remind me to come back here when her shift is done." Gilbert laughed as he and the other two made no attempt to hide their wandering eyes following her until she disappeared through the employee only door.

Smug and confident grins on their faces, they looked completely self-assured they were getting laid that night. Like my night needed to get any weirder, now I'd be kept up from bitchy, Pizzaspiel girl's moans while she rides Gil's dick.

His dick...

Fuck, no, why'd I have to think of that?

I could see the concern in his eyes when he saw me spacing out.

"Frau?" He asked gently, holding my hand.

I knew he'd be crushed if I pulled it away, I didn't mind it I just didn't love hand holding is all.

His brows furrowed but he calmed when I didn't retract from him.

"Es tut mir wirklich leid." He apologized with more sincerity than I knew he had in him.

It hadn't really been his fault, I hadn't knocked but the door had also been nearly wide open so I didn't think I needed to.

"Fifty-fifty at fault. Let's leave it at that." I offered, he shook my hand in a deal.

"Deal- so are ve okay?" He asked and as soon as I nodded I should've seen it coming a mile away he gave his trademark smirk and asked: "so you like vhat you see?"

Francis kicked his shin hard underneath the table looking up as he and Antonio both gave 'Dude What the frick is wrong with you?' looks.

"Dude-" I started, but was cut off. Whom by? The Pizzaspiel bitch.

"What can I get you, three fine gentlemen, to drink?"

"Beer," Gilbert replied immediately.

"They serve beer here-" I asked.

"This is Germany sweetie of course we do." She said in such a condescending way I wanted to jump her.

"But it's a kid-"

"And Antonio, Francis what about you two?" She didn't acknowledge me again.

"Red wine."

"Francis, really?"

"Margarita."

"Dude, Toni."

They all looked back at me after she had walked away, hips swinging.

"That trash won't talk to me unless it's something mean," I growled and bit my lower lip.

'Control your raging impulses ___ you got this' I told myself, fists clenched.

Antonio patted my back and rested his head on the side of mine like he was trying to channel positive energy.

"Toni whatever you're doing it doesn't wanna make me knife her fake ass any less."

So apparently the manager was behind me and almost called the cops.

We didn't get our drinks, she'd never even taken my order and now we were searching for my promised pizza somewhere else.

"Think I'm banned?" I groaned, faced buried in my hands.

"No, but you might not be allowed there when she's there." Toni giggled.

"I obviously didn't mean it," I argued.

"You did mean it you just vouldn't have actually done anything, you mean." Gil corrected.

"Thank you, German, autocorrect," I sneered and looked out the window in reflection and anger.

Francis ignored his childish friends and parked the car in front of a bar instead.

"This is better," he sighed in relief.

It was dark and the lights shown brightly through the windows feeling welcome and warm but this was a bar late at night in Germany. I was expecting chaos and I got more than that.

I could barely hear our conversation over the loud Germans after we'd gotten inside.

They ordered drinks and I did not but I was offered a few times.

Gilbert glared away approaching men and eventually, Francis snaked his arm around me and held me close as we waited to order the available food.

"Margarita pizza? That doesn't have any alcohol in it right?" I asked the older lady pouring the drinks.

"Ist sie dumm?" She asked Gil in all seriousness.

"Lady I can speak German." I griped.

She rolled her eyes and left.

Germans today I swear. Just life today, really.

Francis got mad, Gilbert got naked, German girl got petty, German lady got plain rude, German girl might keep me up all night moaning.

Again my mind wandered back to Not her moaning specifically but that Gil would be causing it. Gil's-

No. I held the sides of my head in annoyance of the persisting thought.

The pizza was eventually brought out and I was thankful to scarf it down while Francis watched in horror, Antonio watched in amusement and Gilbert watched like a proud big brother.

"Definitely American." Gil laughed and raised a glass in my name.

The pink-faced drunks agreed in disorderly, unharmonious, unison. Most of them didn't get my name remotely correct.

The three men could really hold their liquor because they were like stone-faced Gods next to the others and most Germans could handle their beer.

Not even a second off balance or discombobulated, we piled back into the car after the apology pizza but after Antonio, Gil and I got out Francis drive back out.

"Where's he off too?" I asked.

"Probably getting Heidi, she gets off around this time," Antonio answered.

"The Pizzaspiel bitch?" I asked.

"Harsh words for someone pro gender equality."

"Doesn't mean I can't think someone is a bitch," I muttered and headed upstairs.

"Hey Wait, Chica-!" Toni called after me before I went to hide under my covers.

"Yeah?"

I was caught off guard when they both bear hugged me.

I was lifted off the ground with ease and smile as they both kissed me on either cheek and waved as I went back upstairs.

I raced to finish getting ready for bed and dive into my dresser drawer for my soundproof headphones.

As planned I didn't hear her arrive but when the music in my headphones cut out I could hear her in Gil's room.

Against my better judgment, the temptation hidden inside of me won that day and I kept them off and I listened. I didn't care about her at all, I despised her really, but through her, I could envision what must be happening and I see it again.

Gilbert turning to face me in shock, his pale skin still glistening in water from the shower and his platinum blonde hair looking almost gray while dripping wet.

His eyes widened and he moved his hands to cover himself but it was too late. It drew me in like a fishing hook and I had to move my hand in front of my face to keep myself from looking because I couldn't find the will.

I was supposed to be disgusted, I was always repulsed by this, always.

But now hearing the moans Heidi is making no attempt to mask I see it clearly.

I squeeze my legs together but it does nothing, I tuck a pillow in between them and it helps but only a little as I hear Gil's bed creaking and the impatient, panting, grunts of Gilbert as he thrusts.

'Thrusts' I thought. What if he was thrusting me?

Could it be possible for me to feel the way Heidi did, that other girls did, if I lacked sexual attraction?

I've known Gilbert a month and I'm already wondering what it would look like if he crawled over me, if he ran his hands and his perfect lips over every inch of my body. I could feel his large hands grip my hips tightly and I could feel his wet tongue, I could feel his eyes pierce mine and I could feel his warmth inside me.

I gasped in panic trying to force away the thoughts but they only got louder as did the foursome in the next bedroom.

I sprinted downstairs and quietly walked into the back yard.

The carrot seeds were still there from earlier when I'd first hosed Antonio.

Carrots, long like-

What's wrong with me, I can't stop. Is it the shock, is it the weird thought of something new, of something that repulses me? I'm unfathomably curious about what I don't understand, what I fear. But becoming this curious in sex, especially involving them, that wasn't a good thing, that was a step in a dangerous direction and unhealthy obsession.

I picked up the carrot seeds and googled the instructions.

The moans from inside were still loud enough to hear so I busied myself with finally planting Antonio's poor carrots instead.


	15. Chapter Fourteen | SurpriseXTease

The last thing most people expected to wake up to was their friend passed out in dirt, blue from the cold but I gave them a hell of a scare when that's what happened.

I didn't wake up completely until I heard a woman on tv scream like bloody murder and bolted up.

They jumped in surprise and I sunk back into the couch slowly. I was covered in heating pads and giant blankets as they tried to warm me up.

They looked and felt guilty I'd been driven outside last night.

I threw off a few of the blankets making me sweat and tried to fall back asleep because that was much easier to deal with then three guilt tripped playboys.

On tv was the show Scream. I remembered this coming out in my teens and now I just feel old on top of everything else.

I heard the clicking of the caps on my pill bottles being taken off and bolted up again.

"Hey wait you don't have to-"

"Mood suppressants." I heard Gilbert read.

"Why would anyone suppress their mood?"

"Because I get really feisty that's why," I said, my tone already an indicator it was true.

Gilbert tried to bring back what he thought I'd need but he was mostly wrong.

"No, I need one mood suppressant, one attention pill, one anxiety pill, an iron supplement, a cardio pill and a sedation pill since I'll be inside today it seems."

"Sedation?" Francis questioned.

"Energy is crazy when you have too much of it man," Was all I have as an explanation.

"Do I really need to talk about my disorders are can we leave it at I need these meds and I'm not a crazy person?" I asked hopefully and he nodded without sighing but the tension in his posture eased.

"So..." Gilbert began casually "Why the fuck did you go outside at two AM and fall asleep on the cold ground while planting carrots and what the fuck, that's not something I thought if ever need to shout about?" He ranted.

I nodded, blank stare as I downed the pulled all at once.

"I'm tired, I didn't get my pills last night so today will be hell for me." I moaned.

"Do you need those too?" Antonio asked already on his way to fetch cereal.

"Yes please, don't be concerned when I freak out later on."

"Vhy vould you freak out?"

"Panic attacks, that's what the pills are for. It used to be about trivial things but after more real-world experience it's involved a bit of trauma and reliving it so don't be worried."

"How is that not worrying?" Gil asked taking both my hands in his.

I yanked my hands back to snuggle under the covers and grumbled when I had to immediately sit back up for the other pills.

I remember sitting on my room floor crying about needing to take one, asking when I'd have to stop. That was more than twelve years ago, guess I got used to it.

Francis got up to push the couches and seats together to form one giant comfy pit again and I growled as they moved me closer to the center so they could be on either side.

I couldn't handle Gilbert's soft, warm breaths in the crook of my neck without remembering yesterday.

Francis had his arms wrapped around me and I remembered when he yelled so angrily the day prior.

Antonio sat back down with us and I remember him laying exasperatedly in the dirt when I complained about vegetables.

"Being Human is hard," Francis said in a tired voice glancing up at me for a moment, he mouth close to my ear.

He tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear and kissed my cheek as I curled in a ball.

He, Gil and Antonio joined me under the covers for, in my case, the most sexually tense cuddle of my life.

It was bad enough the temptation of last night had gotten to me for a moment but now I was in the arms of the man who's dick I couldn't get out if my head because damn it was giant and even I knew that.

No wonder women were always crawling towards this place, not to say I'd also like it stuck inside but to me, it was like a weird attraction at a circus or something, something or someone unusual you don't expect and can't forget.

My cheeks were red from burning up in embarrassment, heat and some anxiety and I couldn't remain trapped in the death cuddle anymore lest I fall prey to it.

They sat up slowly looking at me in concern.

"___ you okay?" Gil asked, petting my head.

"No!" I admitted, and I'd much regret admitting it later, in the heat of the moment I needed to rant and I'd likely desperately ask to take it back later but I couldn't help it right now and it all came pouring out.

"Why?" Gil pressed.

"Because I saw your dick that's why!" I exclaimed and they were all taken aback.

"And-"

"And I can't stop thinking about it and it's driving me crazy! And last night made it worse cause you were fucking Pizza Girl with it-"

"I mean I used my mouth and hands too but okay, your point?" Gil felt the need to add.

"And fuck I can't stop thinking about what it's like and I don't know what to do, help me!" I practically wailed and fell on my face sprawled out in hopelessness.

I felt Gilbert massage my back while he and the others looked like they were in deep thought about my problem.

"It seems like curiosity is killing the cat," Antonio noted and Gilbert wire his cliché smirk.

He rolled me over onto my back and crawled over me.

"Gil-" Francis warned.

He waved him off with a flick of the wrist and focused on me.

"Sounds to me like ___ is tired of being left out," he purred and buried his face into my neck. "I'd be more than happy to properly help you."

My heart skipped a beat and I felt a dropping feeling inside me from excitement but I knew I couldn't let him go through with it.

Insatiably curious I let his hand slither up my shirt to hold my hip and I let him roll his tongue over my collar bone as he purred in excitement.

I didn't feel a pullback to reality until he began undressing himself and Antonio and Francis watched hungrily as Gilbert straddled my waist.

The lustful look in his eyes that I stayed awake at night longing to see looked me up in down slowly.

I was still a little dirty.

He pulled me back up and I felt the slightest bit of disappointment.

"You know if you aren't opposed to veally doing this vhen let's take things a little more seriously." He purred hungrily into my ear, his soft breath sent shivers through my body. His large hands pinned me to his chest, his right hand had a tight grip on my hip and the left was stroking my back in the most sensual way possible.

I was weak at the knees, I was curious, excited, I wanted to know– I needed to know more about sex than the scientific facts but I also knew I couldn't do that. I could have him defile me, I couldn't go against my morals for a few minutes of mind-boggling pleasure.

I knew I had to stop now or it'd be even harder for me to do later.

Seeing my hesitance he lost the lustful animalistic look in his eyes and strokes my head, running his fingers through my hair.

"Vill you be okay Herrlich?" He asked in his honey sweet voice.

I nodded slowly, still processing things.

He places a chaste kiss on my forehead and helped me out of the couch-pit. Francis and Antonio followed closely behind.

"You'll let us kiss you like that some time too won't you?" Antonio purred into my left ear as Francis leaned in to nibble on my right.

I squeaked and they looked like they heard the cutest thing they ever would and Francis swept me off my feet, carrying me like a princess while Gilbert turned the hot water on in my shower.

Antonio got my things, looking through my underwear drawers.

"You don't have any toys?" He asked me as I sat at the end of the bed letting them get everything ready for me.

I raised a brow and he made a hand gesture I didn't really understand a and sighed before straight out asking, "Do you not have any vibrators or anything?"

"Toni!" Francis scolded.

Antonio shrugged, he didn't care he was being scolded he was also very curious.

"What? No, I'm not sticking something inside of me?" I protested standing up quickly.

We heard Gilbert's muffled laughs from the bathroom and he walked out and leaned against the doorframe.

"Really cause you seemed pretty interested in having something a lot more intense inside you a minute ago?" He teased, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

He turned beet red, my momentary weakness was already coming to haunt me.

"Don't act like or think that that will happen again. My medication is still kicking in, in an hour if you say something like that I might jump out the effing window," I grumbled.

"And I never said anything about sticking it in me," I protested.

He smirked again, "sticking what in you?"

"Your-" and I blushed and covered my face coaxing out a laugh from the trio while I tried to hide in my hands.

"Come on Chica, we're only teasing no worries." Antonio chuckled and pulled me closer to him.

"Yeah but if you do wanna lose that v-card let us know." Gilbert playfully winked.

Francis tilted my head upwards to face him, with his smooth gentle fingers.

"Nous sommes la famille après tout." He hummed happily.

Gilbert and Antonio nodded in agreement and showered me with affectionate kisses. This was a slight change from the usual.

I think I like this.

Antonio ruined the peaceful moment by declaring, "Yeah so anyways Chica, for you birthday you're getting a sex toy."

"Toni no-"


	16. Chapter Fifteen | JuneXPretend

It was now June, the carrots I rescued were coming along nicely. Antonio said he couldn't wait to eat them so I screamed "how dare you eat me children" and he almost died laughing.

Antonio as a joke would occasionally ask what sex toys sounded best and I'd throw whatever was nearest at him.

Gilbert still teased me about my lapse in strength when I'd seriously considered letting him grind me.

That same day the effects of not taking my medication in time were deathly as usually. I'm convinced one of them did something to knock me out as soon as my breathing was labored from anxiety because I don't remember anything other than they woke me up late at night to give me my pills on time before letting me drift back off. I was grateful of course but I was starting to suspect they had some kind of hypnosis tricks going on then.

Francis had finished his book decoding and didn't let me read it, I had finished my final draft for my book and we'd crowded around as a pushed send and had it off to the editor about a week or so ago.

I was supposed to hear back from the editors that day for the final word. I'd already had a few revisions suggested and the artwork for the cover brought up.

I'd have to meet in person for the final arrangements and that's what I was waiting for, when to come in and where.

"New York?" Gilbert asked when I told him about the call.

I was jumping in excitement like a child on Christmas Day, "Yeah! They loved it and they need me to go over things with them in New York!" I squealed jumping around.

Francis and Antonio looked excited too.

"¡Yay, viaje por carretera!" Antonio exclaimed from the back of the couch.

"You guys want to come to?" I asked.

"Ve haven't been to the states in a while, I'd like to see New York again and maybe we can go to a beach or something now that it's summer." Gilbert mused.

"Sure! That'd be so fun! I can take y'all with me on my book tour!"

"Do we get to read it first?"

"Nein." I joked.

"Chica."

"Let me read your vampri book."

"Nein."

"Then we've reached a stalemate, my friend," we playfully argued.

"Let me put Lynette on speaker, I can ask her to set something up for you," I say cheerfully.

I dialed her number and she answered before rung twice.

"How's my superstar?" She exclaimed.

"Great-"

"Fabulous! Girl, I've been talking you up all day, showing off to these other editors who can't get a decent writer-"

"Woman."

"Hmm?"

"I'm bringing my guy friends do you think you could set something up for them?"

"Girl, of course, I can, I got the perfect arrangement actually." She exclaimed.

"Great thanks-"

"How many?"

"Gil, Toni and Francis."

"Ooo, your playboys."

"Tracy." I shushed.

The trio laughed at this.

"Oh my god is that them? Honey thy sound like sexy angels you introduce me alright?"

"Umm...sure."

"Great! By sugar see you Saturday!" She exclaimed and hung up.

I mentally facepalmed.

"She sounds like a good time," Gil smirked.

"Gil, no." I scolded and bopped him on the head, he just laughed and ruffled my hair.

He kissed my forehead and tucked loose strands of my hair behind my ear.

"We should get you something to celebrate," Francis suggested and Antonio and Gilbert nodded.

"Si! Why wait for her birthday we can get her that sex toy now-"

"Toni don't you dare."

Francis karate chopped him on the head and he laughed and shrunk away from him.

"No, but veally, you'll get some pleasure vithout losing your v-card just like you vant."

"I don't wanna lose my v-card because I don't want something up inside of me I won't even try tampons, it's creepy I don't wanna fiddle around up there." I insisted.

"Vell in vhat case you should try oral-"

"Gilbert." I, Francis and Antonio scolded him at the same time.

"I just told you I don't want anything inside me-"

"Vhen don't- give, it don't receive it, it can be just as satisfying."

"No thank you."

"Suit yourself." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Francis picked me up by the waist from behind and spun me around.

"We're so proud of you, bella." He cheered.

I giggled as he spun me around and he handed me to Antonio who held me bridal style and brought me upstairs.

Wait what's he doing-

"Let's start packing then, what time are we getting up?"

"Like three."

"Nein, we won't get enough sleep after our orgy-"

"Then don't have one dummy." I shoved him playfully.

"Heidi is coming too," Francis warned.

"Oh god not her, she hates me I can tell. I think she's jealous."

"Then why don't we tease her a bit, make her more jealous," Gilbert said with a sly smile.

"Praytell?"

"You're so hot vhen you use outdated words, meine Liebe." Gilbert grinned, he rested his hand on my waist and pulled me into his chest while he revealed his scheme.

"She's jealous because she vhinks ve're screwing you, vhy don't ve pretend to confirm her suspicions?" He grinned.

"Oh hell yes."

At least six women came over that night. But Heidi stayed later than the others because her stamina was practically unlimited.

After the others were gone I made my appearance in my most revealing, which still wasn't that revealing, nightgown.

Heidi was dressed in the skimpiest dress I'd ever seen and her lacy lingerie was clearly visible. Francis purred at the sight and brought her closer to him.

Heidi looked smug as usual, giving me a malicious grin.

I rolled my eyes.

"Is that one joining us today?" She asked.

Setting our little plan into motion Francis disagreed.

"Non, she's still tired from this morning." Francis lied.

"And afternoon." Gilbert purred.

"And last night." Antonio grinned.

"Isn't she a Virgin?" She snapped angrily.

"Stay calm kitten," Francis soothed running his hands along her curves.

"Not anymore, no." Antonio smiled devilishly at me, pretending to recall intimate moments.

I felt goosebumps run up and down my arms at the idea.

"Yeah right, I know a Virgin when I see one." She snarked.

I glared, I still kinda wanted to knife her but I didn't want to get arrested. "I think someone's jealous she doesn't get the d as much as I do." I purred and Francis looked impressed with my lie. As if he didn't think I could say something so dirty.

That was nothing, I could take it to a whole other level.

"Prove it then."

How the fuck do I do that without actually doing something so sexual.

"She doesn't need to prove anything to you, Heidi." Gilbert defended.

"No, I don't mind, she wants a show." I challenged her.

Antonio raised an eyebrow and he and Francis looked red with jealousy, shock written all over their faces when I turned around in Gilbert's embrace, wrapped my arms around his neck and...

I kissed him.

Gilbert was just as shocked, more so even.

I would regret doing so later simply because I took it too far in my own opinion but rubbed my hand over boxers and I heard a growl in the back of his throat from desire.

He grabbed my face with one hand and the other trailed us my side lifting my nightgown up to my hip.

Red with embarrassment and surprised with my own stupid bold move I grabbed his face with my hands and he slid his tongue inside my mouth when I gasped in surprise from his grip tightening on my hip.

Heidi was steaming with anger.

"I won't believe it till I see it." She sneered.

"We know you're an exhibitionist Heidi but ___ prefers her privacy," Francis warned.

"I don't need you three ganging up on me," she hissed, "I'll leave you to it, you obviously don't care about me, I expect an apology next time I drop by and you better make it worth my time."

"Heidi," Antonio began, anger in his tone, "that's not gonna happen until you stop being petty towards our friend."

She looked shocked and humiliated and stormed out the door.

Gilbert was still busying himself, tongue deeper in my mouth than I thought it could go when the door slammed shut and he pulled himself away, a string of saliva connected our lips.

I felt hot with embarrassment.

"Ah! What the fuck is wrong with me!" I shouted holding my head.

"You're a hell of an actress, never expected vhat from you," Gilbert said sounding very pleased.

"No fair Gilbert gets to have you like that and not us." Antonio pouted and Gil laughed.

"I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have done that," I started chanting to myself.

"Aye, Chica calm down we know you weren't being serious," Antonio said rubbing circles into my back.

I wasn't being serious true, but that made it worse, I used him.

"I used you, I-"

"Liebe, don't feel bad, I enjoyed vhat." He grinned and looked me in the eyes as I crouched on the floor."

"Oh my god," I muttered.


	17. Chapter Sixteen | PlaneXHotel

Last night was awkward as hell.

For me at least.

Why did the awkward things always involve Gilbert, at least involve the others once, universe, geez?

The sexual tension was higher than it ever had been and Gilbert wouldn't stop sending my playful winks and satisfied smirks.

Antonio made sure he didn't bother me while I packed and Francis helped me stuff everything in the suitcase I felt I needed.

It would've been better not to sleep until the flight but I needed my nightly pills and without the ones that made me sleep the ones for anxiety made me anxious for the first hour or so and I didn't need that after last night.

They helped drag my ass to their car and carried me through the airport.

The nonstop flight was nine hours, the one stop flight was eleven but depending on a layover and other factors it could last as long as thirty-three.

Obviously, we had the non-stop booked and should reach JFK, New York, by one in the afternoon, check into the hotel by three depending on traffic and get the rest needed until Saturday morning.

I laid out the schedule for the trio because they were better at managing time than I was.

They hadn't been in an airport for a while however and nearly missed the flight.

I was coming to much to my dismay when the captain spoke over the monitors.

"Too loud," I mumbled and snuggled in the blanket Francis had taken out for me.

We were in first class which was better than American first class and managed to get seats relatively close to one another.

Francis and I had aisle seats next to each other. Directly behind me was Antonio and at the end of the aisle was Gilbert separated from me by two other people.

The three fidgeted nervously explaining they couldn't get their' energy drinks' past security and were worried about getting too thirsty.

I pointed out they had water but they still complained.

So childish if you ask me, what's so special about their homemade drinks anyway?

I leaned away from the stranger on my left into Francis who wrapped his arm around me.

Antonio kicked his sit from behind and Francis turned around to glare at him.

Gilbert looked lonely on the opposite side of the aisle from me and pulled out his phone which he was immediately told to put away.

The flight took longer than expected to take off, as usual in my experience, and our plans would be pushed back an hour or two at least giving us even less time to rest at the hotel.

I'd looked up the hotel reviews, it was a five-star spot known for celebrity visits and we had a room with a jacuzzi on the balcony overlooking New York. I couldn't wait to see that at night.

I'd have to buy a bathing suit though because I'd neglected to bring mine despite the suggestion we go to the beach, Antonio had made.

I fell asleep on the rock hard shoulder of Francis who smiled lovingly down at me as I puffed quiet breaths. This didn't last as the plane took off and the turbulence in the first few minutes startled me awake.

I'd never get used to turbulence and Francis looked even more scared than I did.

He clutched the dude bars of the chair and I held his hand in comfort.

He looked at our hands conjoined and smiled at me. Something in his eyes made my heart melt and I could tell he appreciated the gesture.

Gilbert mumbled something under his breath when he saw us.

After the flight became smooth again I was too awake to fall back asleep despite wanting to and decided to begin work on the third novel in my trilogy.

Francis watched me tap away at the keyboard and grinned, happy to see me at work.

Antonio tried looking over the seat and was asked to sit down. He looked really agitated and worried Francis when he insisted he was thirsty.

"Ask for water then." I pointed out.

"I don't want water," he complained and Francis turned around locking eye contact with him.

"Just a few hours you've gone longer." He soothed.

"You shouldn't wait hours to drink water if you're thirsty," I exclaimed.

The flight attendant overheard and got a drink for Antonio who pretended to be grateful before sulking back in his chair.

As expected of them by now Gilbert was flirting with the flight attendant and she left for the bathroom, he followed shortly afterward trying not to look obvious and Francis and Antonio gave him exasperated looks.

By the time he came back he was no longer in a foul mood and it was obvious he managed to get laid in the first hour of the flight which was a little ridiculous to me.

"You guys are nymphos," I muttered under my breath and Francis didn't deny it.

"It makes us feel alive," Was all he had to say.

They were alive enough, I knew they each had troubling backgrounds but the temporary pleasure wasn't the only thing that could make you feel alive.

Were there depressed, is that why they didn't feel alive?

Sex was the last thing on my mind but I liked making them happy, the way Gilbert looked when I kissed him, the way Francis looked when I held his hand, the way Antonio looked when he held me like a bride.

Did they...did they, love me?

It was in my head, I can't jump to conclusions, they acted out with all women, even within moments of meeting them apparently. They only acted differently with me because I'm the only one they've ever met who said no to them.

That had to be the case, right?

I got tired of working on my book and kept zoning out.

Francis made a clicking sound with his tongue and pulled my head to his shoulder inviting me to rest my eyes but the blue light of the rising sun was driving me crazy, dawn was my least favorite time of day.

At least there weren't any chirping birds to keep me up.

I should've taken a longer flight so I wouldn't have to worry about needing to wake up from a nap as soon as I fell asleep.

"Wanna pass some time Frau?" Gilbert asked me, disturbing the two people in between us.

"Gil-"

At some point, the two people were annoyed enough to switch seats so Gilbert could sit on my left side instead.

Antonio was pissed he was left out so for the sake of friendship Francis traded seats with him so he could spend half the flight with me too.

He clung to my arm smiling happily and Gilbert kept giving suggestive looks to me.

"Gil knock it off, I was acting you know that." I hissed under my breath.

"Doesn't mean you didn't enjoy it." He grinned.

I recalled the feeling in detail.

I hadn't rubbed hard, in fact, I was mostly trying to feign the appearance of doing so but I flinched instantly at the touch. I'm not sure which part I touched I'm not exactly genius with male anatomy but it felt long rather than round so I had a general idea. What made this experience all the more real was how it instantly became a bit harder at my touch. He'd liked it that much, that or it was just natural reaction.

I stiffened up in my seat trying not to feel any awkward sexual tension from last night again as Gilbert had his hand above my knee not meeting my eyes as he was deep in thought.

He shifted his legs every now and then and I can only imagine what he was thinking about though I'd rather not.

I wasn't looking forward to the crazy people traffic at JFK.

Antonio rested his head on my shoulder and I could feel his lips brush against my neck before abruptly pulling away and letting go of my arm.

I gave him a confused look and Gilbert seemed equally concerned.

I brushed this aside with every other thought of the awkward moments in my recent life and pulled out my carry on book, a manga called Wolf Children. My all time favorite manga.

I managed to finish that in under an hour and started reading the only other book I'd brought, Max by Cohen-Scali, an award-winning book of a young boy born into Nazi Germany with Nazi beliefs, translated from French to English I'd read both versions and love it just the same.

"You've read zhis book too?" Francis asked from behind me.

I nodded enthusiastically, "it's hard keeping my attention since I have ADHD but I can read this whole thing in a sitting a million times and it never gets old. I first read this in the blue ridge mountains actually, it was the most perfect reading moment I've ever had." I sighed in remembrance.

"Oh, I veally liked vhis one too, very historically accurate."

"Cause you'd know," I teased but he tensed up.

"I've studied ww2 a lot-"

"Gil I'm teasing." I patted his shoulder and he calmed down, not like there was any reason to get worked up.

Finishing the book in about three straight hours the announcement was made the plane would be landing momentarily and there'd be a bit of turbulence.

It was dark outside from the cloudy weather and we might need to run through rain shortly.

We should have a limo driver waiting for us but still.

The plane landed in a way we bounced from our seats a bit and I turned around to make sure Francis wasn't too frightened.

He gave me a thankful smile and slowly one by one we were all able to depart the plane without further trouble or delays.

It began sprinkling outside as we got into the building, at last, I used my book to cover my head and was aggravated when I had to dry it off.

"You could've used anything else don't be upset you chose a book." Antonio laughed at me.

I grumbled and fit it back into my suitcase, careful not to spill anything out of it.

Francis had to help my zip it back up because it was severely overpacked.

We navigated our way through the airport and exited the other side of the building as the rain began pouring down harder.

I saw the limo driver standing in the rain getting soaking wet holding a sign with my name on it.

I waved to him and he looked relieved.

He held open the door for us as we ducked in.

Despite the rain, he maintained professionalism and took our suitcases to the trunk with what grace he could muster before getting back into the front seat to drive.

There was a privacy window separating us and he rolled it down to double check our directions.

Confirming they were right he began driving in the right direction and we breathed a sigh of relief but the trip wasn't over yet, we still had crazy traffic to get through, Brooklyn bridge was the worst part too, last time I spent a good two hours trying to get through.

I listened to music and Gilbert took an earbud out to listen in.

"Vhat is this?"

"Hamilton!" I hollered with my fists in the air.

"Oh dear, I've heard of the Hamilton fans-" Antonio was cut off of course as I rapped the entire show in the time it took us to get to the hotel.

"Who lives, who dies, who tells your story-"

"Vhis is verdammt traurig," Gilbert complained a little sad with its ending.

"Now I feel more dead inside than I usually do," Francis commented very casually and I gave him a concerned look.

"You alright man?" 

"Perfectly Bella, no worries." He sighed.

"Just maldito thirsty." Antonio moaned, he fanned himself with his hand and granted it was hot out but at least it wasn't freezing January like when is last been here.

I nearly got frost bit several times. I also got lost on the subway a dozen times and once a New York rat chased me down an alley and I'm not sure why.

I amused them with my stories of New York to take their mind off whatever was bothering them so much and they gave me smiles reassuring me I wasn't bothering them.

We arrived at the fanciest hotel I've ever been too after the agonizing traffic to get there.

We stretched our legs in relief and I should've thought twice about the stretches I did because I caught all three of them checking me out.

I scolded them on our way to the lobby and they laughed it off while I mumbled in frustration.

I got to the check-in desk and I certainly didn't look like someone who could afford this place. The only other people dressed casually had been put up in the hotel by the military.

The lobby host eyed me suspiciously but became distracted by the three godly looking men in tow behind me.

Our things were rushed to our room ahead of us.

"___ ___?" She repeated my name to me and I nodded.

"Wonderful, we have you set up in our finest honeymooning room, if you need anything just ask and I hope you enjoy your stay." She said cheerily.

My eye noticeably twitched and Gilbert leaned in, arm around my shoulders and added "oh, ve vill."

"Tracy I'm going to murder you."


	18. Chapter Seventeen | BasketsXQuestion

If Tracy wasn't a good friend and a good manager I'd have her fired because not only did she set us up in a one-bed honeymoon deluxe sweet it came with anything I could imagine a honeymoon involved.

They had rose petals on the bed, plenty of candles to light, bottles of wine, and several gift baskets.

In the first basket which got Gilbert laughing hysterically were at least one hundred condoms and several other contraception pillboxes. Some condoms were even flavored.

Wiping tears out of his eyes he managed to get out the words to ask "hey ___ which one do you want most, banana or cherry?" He hollered.

I took a pillbox out of the bag and chucked it at his head.

"Oi, ___ does Tracy have your measurements?" Francis asked opening the walk-in closet.

"I don't think so...why?" I asked nervously.

He stepped aside to reveal at least twenty different new lingerie sets.

"Oh my god!" I yelped, "Tracy you are so dead!"

Antonio burst into the loudest laughter I've ever heard and brought a basket out from the dresser beside the bed and to my horror, it was filled with sex toys.

"Looks like we don't need to go shopping for any after all-" He snorted.

I took the basket from him immediately.

"That desperate to use them-" I cut him off immediately and tossed them in the closet of lingerie and shut it behind me quickly. I blocked Francis from reopening the doors and panted in embarrassment.

Francis helped me stand properly as the trio continued laughing, Gilbert even rolled around on the ground clutching his stomach, he could barely breathe.

"This isn't funny," I scolded.

"This is hilarious actually," Antonio argued.

Francis opened the other dresser to find a different set of sex toys, these ones all BDSM themed.

"Oh fuck no-" I yelled and tried snatching them from him but Gilbert beat me to it.

"Oh these are nice-" he purred and grinned devilishly.

"No. No. No. no. No. No. No." I exclaimed and chased him a few strides through the room next to the window as he refused to give them up.

Antonio was back in the closet examining the lingerie.

"Tracy is so thoughtful." He grinned.

"No-no she's not."

"She probably thinks zhis is why you brought us so I fhink she actually is trying to be 'elpful in some aspect."Francis pondered.

I was too tired to deal with all this right now and relented to the comfort of the rose petal silk sheet bed.

Damn it was comfortable.

I heard what sounded like an electric toothbrush and turned slowly to a vibrating egg toy.

Antonio was laughing still, unable to control himself.

"Hey Chica these have really good reviews you should try it,"

"Toni no."

After they calmed down a bit they left to ask the bar if they had any of their special drinks.

It took them a while and they returned from the fruitless journey but seemed much more at ease now.

Gilbert stretched his arms and crawled next to me in bed.

Giving me his trademark smirk he wrapped his arm around me.

"I know you're warming up to us liebe." He purred. "Why don't we try taking things a little further."

Rather than stopping him like usual Francis and Antonio both agree and slid next to me. Francis towered over me and Antonio buried his face in my tangled hair.

I was too morally obligated to actually go through with what they'd suggest but curiosity killed me as always and I had to ask what they meant.

"Whatever you're comfortable with." Antonio soothed.

"You and Gilbert have gotten to making out, and groping apparently-"

"Again that was an act." I defended myself.

"It wasn't something you really needed to do though." He went on.

Francis nodded and his half-lidded eyes were filled with more than just desire, it was almost jealousy, passion, hunger.

The three were in primal mode like when Francis had burst out in protective anger a month ago.

I could feel the radiating danger but it didn't feel dangerous to me, again I knew they wouldn't hurt me, that they'd respect me.

But caught up in their lustful looks and strong arms in a room made specifically for lovers it was hard to ignore what I felt, or more like what I wanted to feel.

My mind wouldn't escape the gutter it seemed and based on some instinct I had hidden away I brought Francis's face down to mine to meet my lips.

I felt his grin and heard Toni's pout.

"You'll get your turn." I heard Gilbert comfort him.

Would he, I was doing this without thinking again, I didn't want to lead them on but I also really liked this feeling. I wanted to know the taste of their lips at least once.

I heard the ruffle of sheets and clothes behind me and Antonio and Gilbert had stripped off their shirts.

Surely they knew I wasn't going to really let them take me all the way but they looked hopeful at least.

Francis moved so they could pull back the covers and layered sheets.

The room was big enough for all four of us to easily sprawl out.

Using some kind of remote the curtains shut themselves and Francis who wasn't the biggest fan of modern technology flinched when he noticed them moving on their own.

I laughed and this broke our kiss, we made eye contact and I could see the passion burning in his eyes.

Before he could slip his tongue back into my mouth Antonio pulled me into his chest.

He kissed my forehead and Francis growled at my sudden absence.

Antonio turned me around to straddle his waist while Gilbert and Francis looked on jealously.

He immediately bit my lower lip and slipped his tongue deep into my mouth. The kiss was fiery and passionate and so strong he gripped my face with both hands and fell forward pushing me deep into the mattress as he moved his tongue around.

I heard a moan building in his throat.

For the first time, I felt a pang of desire twisting knots in my stomach and couldn't help the moan that escaped.

He purred and broke the kiss so I could breathe but allowed no chance for Francis or Gilbert to share in his fun as he moved to my neck and I felt his tongue roll across the crook of my neck before he nibbled and pinched my skin in between his teeth. His kisses were wet and loud but I wasn't annoyed by the sound I was more caught up in trying to push away the heat building in me. I wouldn't give in to desire, I couldn't give in.

Francis grabbed my wrists and pinned them above me allowing his friend better access.

I tried shifting my legs to ease the desire but it did nothing for me especially when he leaned further into me and my legs spread apart at his weight.

He was only wearing his boxers, the colors of the Spanish flag and the further our heated uncalled for session continued the harder I could feel him become.

I'd seen Gilbert's dick on accident but this I could feel clearly enough to get a right image, shorter but thicker than Gil, that was the impression I got at least.

Gil growled enviously and Antonio didn't do so much as glance at him as he held me just below my chest, he was fighting the burning urge to feel my chest but knew I wouldn't react well. As far as they knew it seemed only kisses were okay for now.

He moved away from my neck and rolled my skirt up my legs to just above my thighs and left a trail of kisses.

I fought the urge to curse and sat up, escaping Francis's grip. He looked up in concern and I had the chance to tell him to stop, he asked if I was okay, he asked if he could continue.

And I said yes.

Did I mean to say yes, was it just what I wanted to think in the moment?

The three took this as a signal to take things up to another notch and I heard Francis get up from behind me and grabbed three condoms from the gift basket.

Gilbert smirked in excitement and Antonio looked to the hand he held them with.

He set them aside on the dresser, "just in case." He winked to his friends.

This comment made me feel much safer however like it was still okay if I stopped, there was no rush, there wasn't any feeling of guilt if I did stop them.

I thought for a moment of Gil again, of what I saw when I walked in on him and I thought about his fingers prying me apart to thrust himself inside of me.

I felt Antonio's erection on my leg as he inched further up my body still trailing kisses.

Looking behind me it was evident both Gilbert and Francis were in the same state of mind and body as their boxers had noticeable tents.

I gulped down the lump in my throat that wanted to say stop but the more primal side of me forced back.

I was starting not to care if I regretted it later, it felt good now.

Gilbert pulled me away from Toni into his lap, Francis kissed the back of my neck and Gilbert cut in front of him to bring my hand to his chest and then to his almost-white hair.

He purred at my touch and kissed the palm of my hand grinning ear to ear while trying to keep a seductive look.

He leaned forward and kissed past my collarbone, he pulled the top of my dress down a little ways past my cleavage and kissed down to the line connected my bra cups.

"Hey Herrlich," He began and I blushed at the compliment.

He leaned forward to whisper into my ear.

"Vill you let me strip you?"


	19. Chapter Eighteen | GutterXNight

I managed to get my mind out of the gutter and turn my attention to my own moral logic away from these weird new feelings I was afraid to become addicted to, to submit to.

Gilbert had purred in my ear asking for permission to strip me naked.

I'd seen him, he had yet to see me.

I would prefer it to stay that way. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready or willing to let someone roam their eyes and hands all over my body let alone put anything inside me.

Cautiously, to avoid frightening me, Francis snaked his hand up my thigh and gave the slightest touch through my underwear above the clit with the tip of his gentle fingers.

My eyes shot open and I unintentionally let out a moan more sexual sounding than I thought I could make and Francis deepened the touch.

I managed to squeeze my legs together which only made the touch deeper and more sensual as he traced his fingers upwards.

My face was redder than it ever had been and I looked very seductive in Gilbert's point of view.

My flushed face, red cheeks, squinted eyes and parted lips lead him to grip my thigh and pull my face to his.

He slipped his tongue inside my mouth and Francis reached for a condom on the dresser.

My heart sped up and I realized I was very close to submitting to go all the way with them.

How would a foursome even work?

I felt like asking but I'm sure that'd get their hopes up higher than their dicks.

Antonio looked ready to slip his boxers off as he got into rhythm with my own heartbeat, Gilbert was damn ready to eat me out and Francis was literally about to slip a condom on so he could start thrusting into me.

I had to stop it, I didn't want to but I had to. There wasn't much else that could happen before the 'grand finale' so to speak.

I felt Antonio tug on my dress and in my trance I adjusted myself to allow Gilbert to slip it off over my head and he, Antonio and Francis smiled and let out lustful growls at the sight of my skin.

My underwear and bra were worn and plain black, not a sight to see but Gilbert moved his hands to my stomach to feel my abs before bringing them higher. Francis had his thumb under the lining of my underwear ready to slip his fingers inside me and Antonio moved his kisses much closer to Francis's hand.

Just before Gilbert slipped his hand into my bra cup to feel me flesh to flesh, I let out a gasp that grabbed their attention.

I felt so guilty and annoyed I had to stop a tear rolled down my cheek.

"I-i'm sorry I can't-" they cut me off as a whimpered.

Gilbert put his finger to my lips with a sympathetic look.

"Shh, it's okay ve understand." He purred. However, I could see a flicker of pain in his eyes at the insistence he stop what was bringing him so much pleasure.

Francis was reluctant to remove his hand and Antonio left his hand to sensually trace his trail of kisses as he sat up.

They helped me back into my dress and I blushed as they let their eyes linger on every inch of my exposed skin until it was covered up again.

"What about your-erm," I couldn't quite get out the words to ask about what they'd do about their erections already knowing the only real answer.

"We can take care of it," Antonio assured me and kissed my forehead.

Francis played with my hair and set the condom back onto the dresser, somewhat sadly.

"What's wrong with me," I whimpered.

"You ask this every time, there's nothing wrong with feeling explorative Chica," Antonio comforted.

"You're demisexual, right? Zhese aren't feelings you're used to of course it's 'ard to force zhem away when you want to know more." Francis agreed.

"And if you want to know more just feel free to ask us," Antonio whispered.

I'm not stupid, I know how they handled their problem but I fell asleep before I could hear it and I'm not sure if that was a miracle or not, I was fighting a battle with morals, logic and primal instinct and they were all losing simultaneously if that's even possible.

I fell asleep curled in a ball but awoke around midnight to take my medication. I tried not to wake Francis as I crawled over him.

He stirred and I quieted the best I could but he gazed at me sleepily.

"Mon amour, everything okay?" He asked quietly and Antonio shifted in his sleep latching onto Gilbert.

"I'm just getting my meds," I said quietly and he nodded.

He rolled out of bed without making enough sound to alert the others.

I nearly screamed when I turned around and saw him just above me. Usually, I could tell when someone was close by but not with these guys. Just like that time Antonio showed up in the middle of the forest without having seen him at all beforehand.

I took the pills and held my breath so as not to taste them since I only had water with me right now.

I put the bottle back in the mini fridge and sat there for a moment in peace. I liked listening to the traffic outside and hearing the radiator and the quiet puffs and mumbles of Antonio and Gilbert hugging each other in their sleep. It was nice.

Francis joined me on the ground sitting crisscrossed.

He leaned forward to see my face behind my hair.

"Mon amour?"

"Oui?" I asked sleepily.

"May I ask what's going on with you, your real feelings with all of this."

"All of what?"

"Of us."

"I," I stumbled on my words immediately. "I don't know," I whispered and my voice cracked.

Francis held me in his arms immediately not meaning to upset me.

"Shhh, shhh it's okay, amour." He whispered.

"I don't want to have sex or anything but I keep losing control of myself and wanting to physically but not mentally, I don't know what to do." I couldn't believe I was admitting this to him but he seemed like the right person to confide in about anything intimacy related.

He kissed my forehead.

"We'll back off, we don't mean to tempt you into something you don't want but in our defense, your friend Tracy knows how to get people going with a room like this."

I laughed quietly and nodded wiping my watery eyes.

He kissed my cheek and resisted the urge to kiss my neck, he lay his forehead on my shoulder and I felt his warm breathing on my neck.

I shivered and forced my mind away from any dirty thoughts.

Francis picked me up and carried me back to the bed, bridal style like always.

To be fair to his friends he set me down first next to Antonio and crawled under the covers after me.

More fragile than I usually felt I cuddled under Francis's arm and lay my head on his chest.

He played with my hair lulling me to sleep and it was a peaceful sleep for the most part but evidently, I had wet dreams I couldn't remember because when I woke up my underwear was partially soaked much to my horror.

Disgusted with myself and the random body function I hopped out of bed facing the bright sun unwillingly and awkwardly.

Evidently, the way I walked gave away my problem because Gilbert yawned and stretched sitting up to see me and instantly commenting, "you still wet from last night, Frau?"

I grumbled and blushed.

"Kesesesese." He laughed and shook Antonio and Francis awake.

"Gilbert you wouldn't stop moaning in your sleep it was driving me insane." Francis snapped first thing.

"Vell you were practically suffocating ___ last night in your hairy chest," he shot back.

Antonio quickly separated the two by pushing them off either side of the bed which was returned with hits of pillows swung hard enough to let out a loud smack.

"I heard it too Gil," Antonio defended Francis.

"That's because you were snuggling him like a teddy bear," I commented as I brushed my hair by my duffle bag.

Antonio blushed and Francis and Gil teased him. "Aww, you love me." Gilbert snickered and he turned away from Gil pretending to be upset with him.

"We have to go shopping today-" I reminded them.

"For what, we already got the sex toys-"

"Toni I swear to god; we need to go get a bathing suit for me."

"Oh make it a bikini!" Gilbert insisted and I smacked him.

"Or just use one of the lingerie sets, don't vaste it."

"That's like seeing me in my underwear," I argued.

"I mean we already have, have you forgotten so soon?" Antonio chimed.

I turned redder than his tomatoes and Francis clicked his tongue disapprovingly at Antonio.

"Oi, she was caught in zhe moment don't recall zhings zhat embarrass her." Francis scolded lightly and hugged me to his chest.

"Hey but if she's villing to do it again I'm all for vatching, babe is dead sexy in the black panties,"

Then I kneed Gilbert in the face and returned to getting ready for the day, brushing my hair with a little more force now.

The three grinned, watching me with contentment in their eyes.

I hope, just a little bit at least, that these awkward encounters don't become routine.


	20. Chapter Nineteen | StageXDanger

"Soooooo, have fun last night?" Tracy purred wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I swung my book at her face and she managed to duck.

"Ah-Girl!" She exclaimed.

Unlike grown adults would handle a situation she up and ran and I sprinted after her.

After our childish chase, she brought me to hair and makeup.

I admit realized what a big deal this really was.

"By the way, I did you the honor of calling your family and inviting them here." She said casually.

"I didn't even think to do that, it was so short notice." I panted.

She smiled and nodded. 

"Girl, I know that's why I did it. I always got your back," she grinned.

Her dark brown curly hair was extra fluffy today and her dark skin was baby smooth. Her sleeveless dress exposed her arms that had white blotches from her vitiligo.

She saw the trio finally and became darker than usual as a blush kept upon her face.

"THESE, are the men you were with, my god. Are you sure you didn't get into anything last night!?" She exclaimed and I facepalmed.

"Yes, Tracy I'm sure."

"Vitiligo," Antonio commented seeing her arms. "I've never actually seen anyone with this in person,"

She blushed, a little self-conscious of her condition but he added, "its incredible."

"May we feel?" Francis asked and she held her arm out for him.

"There's nothing to feel, vitiligo is caused by loss of pigment in the skin, it's not like a rough patch of something." I tried explaining as Francis and Gilbert ran their fingers gently over her arm.

No way was I letting them feel up Tracy, sorry Tracy, you probably really like it like most other girls.

"Boys," I hissed, annoyance in my voice.

"Hmm?" They looked up at me nonchalantly.

I tapped my foot and they moved away slowly from her arm.

"Can we not admire god's art?" Antonio asked and she blushed even harder.

I helped her stand properly and walked her away from them to my chair where the make up artists waited.

"Mon amour doesn't really need makeup." Francis chimed in as they ran the fluffy brushes over my face.

"Nobody has flawless skin I'm sure she'd much rather have makeup on when there are cameras pointed at her."

"Camera's, how big a deal is this book?" Gilbert asked.

"Huge." She stated.

"Veally?"

"Oh yeah, Twelve Curses is the next Harry Potter, the meeting hall is gonna be full."

"What-what do I even talk about, my story barely sold at all when I-when I, first published it... this-this is a much bigger deal than I thought." I stammered.

"Well your fans are gonna ask about the new book obviously, you'll read them the summary and answer some questions they have from the previous book. I hear there are even cosplayers."

"To be honest I don't really look at the media about my book, I don't wanna read any hate on it."

"You've been developing this story for twelve years, be more proud of it." She motivated.

"Twelve years?" Francis gasped.

"Well it didn't take that long to write, I just had the idea for that long," I explained.

I had to stop talking for a moment as they did my lipstick and lip liner.

"She wouldn't even let up read it first," Antonio complained and Tracy laughed.

"By the way dear Tracy thank you for all the wonderful gifts." Gilbert purred.

She laughed again, "you put them to use?"

"Certainly tried to," I muttered.

"Hey, Morgan?" Tracy asked a passing intern.

"Yeah?"

"Can you get Kat, she's handling the press right now I believe?" She asked.

Morgan nodded and jogged off.

Antonio, Gilbert, and Francis looked around the backstage area and caught the attention of every woman there as usual.

"My god, can I get with them later?" One makeup artist asked me and I blushed.

"What?"

"Sorry girl but tbh I'd let them do anything to me." She added and I glowered at my own reflection, used to this by now.

"I get it, everyone just loves them," I mumbled.

The trio was asked by Kat to sit in the crowd in the reserved front line for press and my family.

Oh lord, my family, those three absolutely mustn't upset them or reveal we live together. I'd die of embarrassment and because they'd kill me.

I doubt helicopter parents would be very open to the idea I lived with three men who were hardcore nymphos.

Morgan, Tracy, Kathryn, Olivia, Sandra, Daniella, Jocelyn and Emily, my team of girls behind my success, well that helped me with it at least were there in the front seats too aside from the publishing company's overall manager, Howard, but supposedly his managers would be here today in honor of 'producing' a "top-notch author". Please, Howard, I had college to thank for that not you.

The company managers who I've never actually seen before were spoken very highly of. Supposedly they managed a large group of companies, not just this one. They were proud, rich, professional and according to Howard, who was the stereotype over the top gay, they were the embodiment of handsomeness.

When it was time to make my appearance I was met with louder applause and many more fans, lights, and flashes than I assumed and it was shocking and tear-jerking.

I did this. 

I made it here.

I'm here.

My heart was beating wildly and the butterflies in my stomach were beating rapidly, they wouldn't calm down. I was too afraid to speak, what if I messed up.

No convention, or introduction, or fan meeting of any sort had ever been this big, I never imagined my book even had this big a fan base, maybe I would check out what people had to say on the book a little more.

Childhood dreams were now a reality and supporting me was my family and my new trio of friends.

And...

And a man visible in the front row.

A man that made Antonio, Gilbert, and Francis extremely uncomfortable.

Why they fuck was Arthur here?

As if that wasn't bad enough after Howard introduced me to the cheers of the audience, he then introduced company co-managers, Arthur...

And Alfred F. Jones.

A man I hadn't yet seen but something about him was more intimidating, more smug, more powerful than even Arthur.

His innocent, childlike smile made it even harder to notice the radiating raw power from him and from Arthur who's gentlemanly smile also threw you off. It was the same dangerous, beastly power I felt from the trio when they were angry or upset. Something other than their job connected the five and I wanted to know what but I couldn't let myself zone out on stage in front of hundreds of expectant fans.

I smiled, a bright smile that would've been real had Arthur and this Alfred guy, not thrown me off completely.

"Ms. ____?" The all American Alfred Jones greeted. He stepped on stage, Arthur a few paces behind him, and he reached out his hand to shake mine.

I hesitated noticeably but feigned a smile and shook his with the strength and fake energy I could muster.

He laughed, an unfortunately adorable laugh. Dammit, why did a dangerous man have to look so friggin' adorable that wasn't fair.

"I want to tell you what an honor it is to have you working for us. We hope to have you publishing books through us for many years to come. In fact, I can see a future in the behind the scenes aspect of this company too, I believe you'd do very well and help many young authors such as yourself looking to get their name out there." He announced, partially to me and the rest to the crowd and they cheered.

I shot a look to Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert who clutched the seat arms hard enough they looked like they'd break. 

Their expressions were furrowed with fury and their failing restraint.

Arthur shook my hand next.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, love." He said in a British accent that made the girls in the audience, Tracy included, swoon.

I nodded and he whispered so that only I could hear "nice seeing you again, I get the feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon." He grinned with mischief and quickly returned to his fake crowd-pleasing smile.

I was made to pose holding my book with one of them on either side of me.

The contact, even through my jacket made me shiver.

All my years on the road, I knew danger. These men were danger itself.

What kind of people were Gil and the others entangled in?

I fear I might find out, as Arthur had said, soon.


	21. Chapter Twenty | GuestsXLimo

The chairs were filled and overflowing in the open theatre room in the heart of New York City.

I was more popular than I'd thought and unprepared to answer of few of the questions given to me.

I wasn't one to take compliments so I was flustered rather easily too.

I loved to answer these questions though, I knew my characters inside and out, things about them you wouldn't think to have come up with, but I did. I'd worked on them over twelve years after all.

All this excitement distracted me from Arthur and Alfred while it lasted but when I waved goodbye to everyone and walked off the stage the first people to greet me were the two of them.

I tried not to grimace as I met with them again in a less formal appearance.

"So Arthur tells me you've met," Alfred started, starry-eyed.

"Yes, unfortunately," I said very plainly and Arthur huffed in annoyance.

"What did I tell you," he grumbled and Alfred laughed at him.

"Cheer up old man, you get offended too easily."

"You're one to talk, I asked about your jeans this morning and stabbed me in the shoulder-" 

Visibly confused as well as very curious what these two supposedly very professional and proper men were discussing they stopped at my sign of interest.

Straightening his tie even though it didn't need to be straightened, Arthur cleared his throat and they stood to the side as my family greeted me.

I hadn't seen them in months, they were becoming anxious.

My mom showered me with kisses and praises and my dad hugged me and I grumbled when he kissed my head. My brother said it was cool and he shook my hand like we didn't know each other, I called him a dork and chased him until I got a hug.

Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert were nowhere to be seen and I assumed they must be with a girl somewhere unless they were avoiding Arthur and Alfred.

But they seemed too protective to just leave me with these two who they'd described as highly dangerous people.

Was this some yakuza type shit where members were also high-class people with wealthy jobs and such? Certainly started to feel like it.

I'd do some deep web digging later.

My family and I caught up over lunch at Starbucks where fans straight from the convention approached me and drew more attention.

Flattered but overwhelmed I answered things quickly.

I had to sign things at one-o-clock, they could've waited until then but the lines were probably really long.

When I returned to sign things the trio was still nowhere to be seen, my parents had to head home already for their own personal lives and jobs and I was stuck sitting at a table in front of the stage with Tracy who was being strict with how much I was being paid for autographs and selfies.

I made my own deal that selfies with cosplayers would be free.

After that was over I was picked up in a limo, on my own for the first time in a long time and spent five minutes scrolling through tagged pictures of me on my author Instagram that o failed to notice the trio had been in the limo that entire time.

"___-" Antonio shouted snapping me out of things.

"Holy-what the fu-" I started screaming.

"Let's go back to the room, forget dinner okay?" Antonio insisted.

"Wh-why?"

"A few work friends are there and I'd rather you not meet any more of them." Gilbert hissed.

"Not unless you tell me what's going on," I yelled.

"Ve can't!" He shouted.

"Why not?!"

"Because everything changes if we do!" Francis cried.

"Change isn't always bad but things will certainly change if you don't start sharing because I can't feel safe if everyone you work with has such a dangerous energy to them!" I shouted and realized for the first time these men didn't feel safe to be around.

They were upset and that monstrous energy I felt with Alfred and Arthur was present in them.

"I'm going to dinner, it's important to me and you can't stop me," I hollered.

The privacy glass between the driver and us was the only thing that kept him from turning around in worry.

"Chica please-"

"Don't Chica me, I'm ___ and I can handle myself and I know when someone is dangerous and the three of you are but you aren't telling me why and I'm sick of it." I hadn't realized how angry I was until I let it all out.

"I want to-"

"Then do!"

"Please, ____ we cant but we promise not to hurt you, you can trust us!" Antonio insisted.

I huffed and pointed my finger out the window.

"Leave the limo."

"Pardon-"

"Leave!"

They were certainly taken aback by my anger and didn't believe I meant it not until my face was red and I shouted it again like I'd go crazy if they didn't listen this time.

I instructed the driver to stop and they hesitantly got out of the limo, looking back at me with fear and remorse.

I was headed to the hotel to change and then I'd head to dinner at the rooftop garden party.

I realized I'd be alone with Arthur and Alfred and I almost changed my mind about bringing them for protection but I never needed their protection before now and I wouldn't need it this time either.

I saw them in the rear view mirror with eyes pleasing like puppy dogs and I forced myself to look away.

I was so bipolar with these men, nearly losing my virginity to them one night and next I was leaving them on a curb out of anger and distrust.

I wanted to trust them but things were getting more suspicious the more their "co-op work friends" showed up in my life.

Arthur, I despised. Alfred, I feared. Elizabetta seemed nice. Heracles I was worried I'd jump on. The others I knew even less about.

What was good about the trio though? Would I like them if I'd been warned about them as seriously as I had been about the others?

Antonio, he was passionate and friendly, he always lent a helping hand and he got embarrassed sometimes. He liked gardening, snuggling and teddy bears.

Gilbert, he was a jokester, a little blunt, mischievous, loyal and easily annoyed if he didn't get his way but understanding at least. He liked gaming, music, boxing, target practice, swimming and anything somewhat immature for his age.

Francis, he was charming, a flirt, protective, parental, more proper than his friends and aimed to appear gentlemanly. He liked flowers, reading, poetry, old movies, fashion, and wine.

That much I knew.

I also knew Gilbert had a troubling past and attachment issues, Antonio was a beast if he snapped and Francis was a little too protective.

I knew the good and the bad but I didn't know the worst of it yet and that was whatever they were hiding.

Was I actually safe, was it some stupid secret? Did the good outweigh the bad or was the bad suffocating any good and that's why they wouldn't tell me much?

What would tonight be like, would they leave or would I have to force them to stay on the floor or something.

There was a loveseat, but not a couch made for sleeping on, seeing as how it was a honeymoon sweet.

When I got to my suite I half expected to see they'd made it there first but was a little relieved they hadn't. I would've started doubting they were even human if they had.

I wore a floor-length, sleeveless, sparkling blue ombré dress and recurled the hair due done for the conference.

I rubbed the thick lipstick off with a wet cloth and put on glossy lipstick instead.

I batted my eyes as I redid the mascara and I put together a small hand purse.

I twirled once to see the dress but forgot I had on heels and almost busted my nose.

After recovering, thankful the trio wasn't there I left the room, locking it behind me.

Unbeknownst to me, until months later when they told me, the trio had been there.

They fell out of the wardrobe when I left thankful I hadn't looked in there and they waited for my return, guilty and worried, huddled together for comfort and hope I'd be okay.

My heels clacked on the marble floor and I joined another invited guest in the elevator. I passed a floor meant only for balls and other elaborate parties before reaching the rooftop.

The other girl in the elevator had short blonde hair and pure green eyes. Her hair was done up in a small bun by a purple ribbon and she had a frilly ball-worthy pink gown.

I almost felt underdressed next to her.

Stepping out of the elevator into the cool night air is something I'll never forget.

Especially since all eyes were on me immediately and I felt a pit of anxiety in my stomach grow as a neared the guests with each step.

Only a few people there I could sense were innocent people, but the rest, including the small girl who'd been with me in the elevator; they were all very dangerous.

But how?


End file.
